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The two forces met with a tremendous shock. 


ARMY BOYS 

MARCHING 
INTO GERMANY 

OR 

OVER THE RHINE WITH THE STARS 
AND STRIPES 


HOMER RANDALL 

Author of “Army Boys in France,” “Army Boys in 
THE French Trenches,” etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


New York 

GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY 

PUBLISEEKS 


BOOKS FOR BOYS 


ARMY BOYS SERIES ^ 

By Homer Randall ' 
i2mo. Cloth. Illustrated 

ARMY BOYS IN FRANCE 

Or From Training Camp to Trenches 

ARMY BOYS IN THE FRENCH TRENCHES 
Or Hand to Hand Fighting with the Enemy 

ARMY BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE 
Or Holding Back the German Drive 

ARMY BOYS IN THE BIG DRIVE 
Or Smashing Forward to Victory 

ARMY BOYS MARCHING INTO GERMANY 
Or Over the Rhine with the Stars and Stripes 


GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY 
Publishers New York 


NOV 10 i3l3 

Copyright, 1919, by 
GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY 


Army Boys Marching Into Germany 


PRINTED IN U, s. A. 


©Cl. A 5 6 4 1) J 


ARMY BOYS MARCHING INTO 
GERMANY 


CONTENTS 


Ckapter 


Page 

I 

The Disguised Officer . 


1 

II 

Trapped 


11 

III 

A Breathless Moment . 


26 

IV 

In the Tunnel. 


36 

V 

A Master Stroke . 


46 

VI 

Colonel Pavet Returns 


57 

VII 

AT Grips with Death . 


72 

VIII 

Putting It Over . 


81 

IX 

The Shining Plane 


89 

X 

Tank Against Tank 


99 

XI 

Liquid Fire . 


109 

XII 

Beating the Huns to Their 




Knees 


117 

XIII 

The White Flag of Surrender 

128 

XIV 

Victory 


139 

XV 

On to the Rhine . 


148 

XVI 

The March of Triumph 


154 

XVII 

Friends or Foes? . 


160 


CONTENTS 


IT 


Chapter 

Page 

XVIII 

A Perplexing Question 

. 169 

XIX 

The Lone Straggler 

. 175 

XX 

On German Soil . 

. 181 

XXI 

As From the Dead 

. 187 

XXII 

A Joyous Reunion 

. 193 

XXIII 

Crossing the Rhine. 

. 199 

XXIV 

Tpie Cellar . 

. 204 

XXV 

Foiling the German Plot 

. 210 


ARMY BOYS 
MARCHING 
INTO GERMANY 


CHAPTER I 

THE DISGUISED OFFICER 

“We'll hold this position, boys, if we die for 
it,” exclaimed Frank Sheldon, as he wiped the 
grime and sweat from his face with his sleeve 
and reloaded his rifle. 

“We'll die all right,” muttered Tom Bradford, 
as his rifle cracked and accounted for another 
German, “but we’ll take lots of those fellows with 
us anyway.” 

“There doesn't seem to be any stopping them,” 
grunted Billy Waldon. “Looks as if the whole 
German army’s wading into us.” 

“Heinie's there with the goods all right,” ad- 
mitted Frank, “but it's his last kick. He's about: 
due to pass out now. We've got his number.” 

“Don't be too sure of that,” cautioned Tom, 
“It's still a long, long way to the Rhine.” 

“Stop your chinning, you fellows,” warned 
Billy. “Here comes another rush. Stand fast.” 


I 


2 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


Down over the slightly sloping ground came 
a great wave that threatened to engulf the little 
band of army boys who were holding the posi- 
tion. 

A hail of bullets and of hand grenades met the 
assailants and tore great gaps in their lines. Men 
by the score threw up their hands and fell, but 
their comrades pressed on over them in a fierce 
determination to wipe out once for all the Ameri- 
can detachment that had been holding them so 
obstinately at that point of the long battle line on 
the edge of the forest. 

‘‘They’re gluttons for punishment,” panted 
Tom, as he pumped bullets into the oncoming 
ranks until his gun grew hot in his hands. 

“It’ll be hand to hand this time,” gritted Frank 
between his teeth. “Bullets won’t stop them. 
We’ll have to give them the bayonet.” 

“That’s what,” growled Bart, as his fingers 
tightened on his gun stock and his muscles tight- 
ened. 

“I’m glad of it,” muttered Billy. “I’m tired of 
lying here and holding them back. I’m aching to 
get into the middle of that bunch and give them a 
taste of cold steel.” 

“They’re twice as many as we are,” observed 
Frank, “but that’s just about right. One Ameri- 
can ought to be able to handle two Huns and give 
them all that’s coming to them.” 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


3 


On came the enemy until they were so close 
that the boys could see from the marks they bore 
that they belonged to the Prussian guards, the 
choice troops of the German army. 

''Tough nuts to crack,’' muttered Tom, "but 
we’ve cracked them before and we’ll do it again.” 

Nearer and nearer that mass of field gray came 
until the boys could literally see the whites of 
their eyes. 

But it was no part of the American plan to 
take that shock standing still and give the enemy 
all the benefit of the momentum. A bugle rang 
out with a call that the boys well knew and that 
thrilled them to the marrow. Then down the 
line came the sharp, quick command : 

"Fix bayonet. Ready. Charge !” 

The American boys swarmed out of the 
trenches and with a shout rushed forward to 
meet the foe. 

The two forces met with a tremendous shock 
that seemed at first as if it would annihilate them 
both. The impact was terrific. The Germans 
had the advantage of a greater momentum, but 
this was offset to some extent by the fact that 
they were more tired by their exertions while the 
Americans were comparatively fresh. 

There was very little firing done now. The 
machine guns on either side had ceased, as they 
were as likely to mow down their own men as the 


4 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


enemy by shooting into that dense mass. Rifles 
and revolvers were used until their charges were 
exhausted. Then revolvers were thrown aside 
or hurled into opponents' faces, the rifles were 
used as a backing for the bayonet or whirled 
about the head like a flail, and the fighting be- 
came a conflict between individual men or groups 
battling to the death. 

For a few minutes it was a melee of hacking, 
clubbing and stabbing. Men by the dozen went 
down, killed or wounded. Some of the latter, 
who could still move, crawled or fell into shell 
holes that offered some slight measure of protec- 
tion. Often a pair of combatants went down to- 
gether, locked in a close embrace from which 
neither of them rose again. 

Frank found himself engaged with two husky 
Germans who attacked him at the same moment. 
He side-stepped one and drove his bayonet 
through the shoulder of the other. He tried to 
withdraw it, but could not pull it out before the 
other German was again upon him. 

Like lightning he dropped his hold on his gun, 
his fist shot out and landed flush on his assail- 
ant’s jaw. The man went down, and Frank, con- 
tent with having put him out of action, wrenched 
his gun free from his other fallen enemy and 
hurried to the help of Tom, who was hard beset. 

Whirling his gun about his head, he cleared a 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


space about himself and his panting comrade. A 
moment’s respite and again they plunged into the 
thick of the fight. 

“Hot stuff, eh?” said Tom, with a twisted grin 
on his lips that had been cut by a glancing bayo- 
net thrust. 

“Hot’s the right word,” gasped Frank. 
“Where are Bart and Billy?” 

“I don’t know,” replied Tom, and then, as a 
group of Germans surged in upon them, they said 
no more but went at it tooth and nail. 

It was not an easy victory, for the Germans 
fought desperately. But victory at last it proved 
to be, as the Yankee boys pressed forward with 
that same splendid get-there-or-die spirit that 
they had shown ever since the first glorious days 
at Belleau Wood and Chateau Thierry. Soon 
the long lines broke up into separate groups and 
a few’ minutes later the Germans began to re- 
treat, slowly at first and then more rapidly, until 
the wood in front of the old Thirty-seventh had 
been cleared, and the American line had been ad- 
vanced far beyond where it had been when the 
fighting had begun. 

The Americans had lost a considerable num- 
ber of men, but not so many as the enemy, for 
the ground was covered with German dead. 

Frank had come through unscathed, except for 
a slight ridge in the scalp that a bullet had barely 


6 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


grazed, but Tom's cut lip had swelled so that his 
mouth was twisted in a ludicrous shape and he 
.could only speak with difficulty. At any other 
I time Frank would have been inclined to “guy” 
)him over the comical appearance he presented, 
but now, as always after a hot fight, his first 
thought was of Bart and Billy. He looked about 
him anxiously, but could see nothing of them as 
his glance darted in and out among the trees. 

“Could anything have happened to the old 
scouts, do you think?” he asked of Tom. 

‘They'll turn up all right,” answered Tom, 
with more confidence than he really felt. 
“There's Billy now,” he exclaimed with great re- 
lief, pointing to the right, “and I'm blessed if the 
old boy isn't driving a couple of Huns in front 
of him.” 

It was Billy, sure enough, as jaunty and chip- 
per as ever, walking behind two Germans who 
shuffled along sullenly enough. Billy's face broke 
into a broad grin as his friends hurried toward 
him. 

“Some class to this child,” he chuckled, as he 
indicated the prisoners. “Copped them out all 
by my lonesome. But where's Bart?” he asked, 
his tone changing as he noticed the absence of his 
comrade. 

“That's just what we want to know,” replied 
Frank with great uneasiness. “He got away from 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


7 


us in the early part of the fighting and we haven't 
seen him since." 

Billy signaled to Fred Anderson, who was 
passing. 

‘‘Take these fellows back to the pen, will you, 
Fred?" he asked. “I want to help the boys hunt 
up Raymond." 

“Sure thing," responded Fred good-naturedly, 
as he relieved Billy of his charges. 

“Now," said Billy, “let's get a hustle on and 
hunt among the woimded." 

Each of them felt in his heart an awful fear 
that something worse than wounds might have 
come to Bart, but by common consent they kept 
the word “dead" away from their lips and tried 
to keep it away from their minds. All of them 
had been face to face with death again and again 
and had been wounded more or less severely, but 
so far death had spared them and the four had 
grown to feel that they would all pull through 
ssMy, But Bart was missing. Had a break 
come at last? 

Already burial parties were going up and down 
the field and the stretcher parties were gathering 
up the wounded to convey them to the advanced 
dressing stations. The three chums attached 
themselves to these and searched frantically 
among both the wounded and the dead. 

For some time their search was unavailing. 


8 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


and then suddenly Frank gave a call that brought 
the others instantly to his side. 

‘IVe found him!” he cried. ‘‘But I don't 
know whether he’s living or dead. Help me to 
get him out of this pile of bodies.” 

In a moment their sinewy hands had extricated 
their comrade, and Frank knelt down and lifted 
Bart’s head in his arms, while Tom tore open 
their chum’s shirt and put his hand on his heart. 

There was a great gash in Bart’s forehead 
from which the blood had flowed freely. His 
face was as pale as chalk except where it was 
streaked with blood, his eyes were closed and he 
sljowed no sign of life. But just as Frank was 
fearing the worst, Tom gave an exclamation of 
relief. 

“He’s alive,” he cried. “His heart is beating.” 

“Thank God!” exclaimed Frank fervently and 
was echoed by Billy. “But I’m afraid he’s pretty 
badly hurt. We’ve got to get him to the hospital 
in a hurry.” 

He called out to a couple of litter bearers and 
they hurried toward him. With infinite care and 
tenderness they lifted Bart and put him on the 
stretcher. They would have taken him to the 
hospital themselves, but that was the work of the 
bearers, and duty held the boys to the line that 
might at any moment be assailed by the Germans 
in a counter attack. 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


9 


‘‘Good old Bart!” murmured Frank. “He's 
alive anyway and while there's life there's hope.” 

“Bart’s luck will stand by him, all right,” 
prophesied Billy, reassuringly. “But that was a 
fearful swipe he had across his forehead. It 
must have been made by a bayonet.” 

“I don't think so,” said Tom, who had been 
looking about him. “See that stump? It's cov- 
ered with blood. Bart stumbled over a body or 
something and struck his head against this stump 
and it's knocked him out.” 

Further conjectures were deferred by a sharp, 
quick summons for the men to get back into line. 
An aviator had signaled that the Huns were 
again preparing to attack with fresh regiments 
that had been hastily brought up, and the old 
Thirty-seventh, like the veterans they had be- 
come, hurriedly consolidated their positions and 
awaited the worst that the enemy could bring 
against them. 

Just then there was a stir in the lines and a 
staff officer, in the uniform of a colenel, came 
galloping up, attended by an orderly. He dis- 
mounted, threw the reins to the orderly and came 
up to a group of the Thirty-seventh’s officers. 

“Who is in command here ?” he asked 
briskly. 

Major Willis, who had charge of that portion 
of the line, stepped forward and saluted. 


lO 


THE DISGUISED OFFICER 


''I am/' he declared. 

‘‘Orders from headquarters/' said the new- 
comer, as he returned the salute. “You are to 
retire from this position at once and fall back to 
your former line of defense. The enemy has 
been so strongly reinforced that it is inadvisable 
to remain where you are." 

The major looked his surprise and seemed 
about to protest, but instinctively discipline as- 
serted itself and he again saluted and turned to 
give the necessary orders. 

The boys had been standing near enough to 
hear the conversation, and Frank, happening to 
catch sight of Tom's face, was startled. His face 
was pale and his eyes were blazing. 

“What is it, Tom?" he asked in a low voice 
and put his hand on his comrade's arm. 

But Tom shook off his hand and sprang for- 
ward. His voice rang out like a trumpet. 

“It's a lie !" he shouted. “That man is a Ger- 
man spy ! Seize him ! Seize him !" 


CHAPTER II 


TRAPPED 

The effect of Tom’s words was electric. 

It was unexampled. It w^s a flagrant breach 
of discipline that under ordinary circumstances 
would be unforgivable. A non-commissioned 
ofiicer sprang forward to thrust him back into 
the ranks. But the major, after a lightning 
glance at Tom and then at the strange oflicer, in- 
tervened. 

*‘Just a minute,” he said. ‘‘Bradford, come 
here.” 

Tom stepped up in front of the major and sa- 
luted. 

The newcomer here made a protest. His face 
had flushed a fiery red when Tom had shouted 
his accusation. Then he became as white as 
chalk. But he pulled himself together and took 
on an air of assurance. 

“Upon my word. Major,” he said arrogantly, 
“the discipline in your command is deplorable. 
Kindly send this young madman to the guard- 
house and obey the order I gave you. You dis- 
obey it on your peril.” 


II 


12 


TRAPPED 


He turned as though to mount his horse, but 
Frank was too quick for him. Like a flash he 
tore the reins from the orderly and held them. 
The strange officer made as though he would 
snatch them from him. 

‘^Stop!” ordered Major Willis. “Sergeant,"' 
he went on, addressing a non-commissioned offi- 
cer, “stand ready with a squad of men. Take 
that orderly into custody and surround this offi- 
cer. Now, Bradford," he went on turning to 
Tom, “what made you say what you did?" 

“Because it is true, sir," replied Tom. “That 
man is an officer in the German army. I saw 
him when he was wearing a German uniform in 
the German lines and plotting with an American 
traitor." 

There was a stir in the group, and the accused 
man gave a start that was not lost on the major, 
who was watching him intently. 

“That is a serious accusation — a terrible accu- 
sation," said the major gravely. “If it is true, 
it means death to this man. If it is false, it 
means severe punishment for you. Are you sure 
of your facts?” 

“Perfectly sure, sir,” affirmed Tom. “It was 
after I had been captured by the Germans and 
was trying to escape. I was hiding up a tree in 
the woods. Rabig — ^you know Rabig, sir, the 
man we're holding for court-martial?" — the ma- 


TRAPPED 


13 


jor nodded — *‘Rabig came into the woods and sat 
down under the tree I was hiding in. This man" 
— pointing to the accused — *'met him there and 
they talked for a long time together. Money 
passed between them. Then this man went away 
and I dropped down on Rabig, overpowered him, 
took away the pass the German had given him — 
and got back to our own lines." 

The alleged German here interposed. 

‘Ts it possible," he exclaimed, ‘‘that you attach 
any weight to a mere resemblance, admitting that 
this fellow is telling what he believes to be true? 
There may be a thousand men in either army that 
look like me. Let us have done with this non- 
sense." 

There seemed some force in this and the major 
looked inquiringly at Tom. 

“There’s no mistake, sir," persisted Tom. “Fd 
know his face among a thousand. But there’s one 
thing that will prove I’m right and that even he 
himself can’t deny. The man who was talking 
to Rabig had the end of the third finger missing 
from his left hand." 

Every eye went to the stranger’s left hand. It 
was encased in a riding glove and there was 
nothing to indicate that it was maimed. 

“Will you kindly remove your glove?" asked 
the major with ominous politeness. 

“I refuse," objected the strange officer hotly. 


14 


TRAPPED 


'This is an indignity. I shall report these pro- 
ceedings at headquarters.'' 

"Remove your glove," demanded the major 
sternly, and at the same time the sergeant and his 
detachment crowded about the accused, ready for 
instant action. 

There was no help for it and the officer obeyed. 
The first joint of the third finger of the hand was 
missing. 

A shout went up, increasing to a roar, as the 
detected spy made a sudden dash through the 
guard surrounding him, reached his horse, and 
with surprising agility vaulted upon his back and 
dug his spurs into his sides. 

The horse reared high in the air with sudden 
fright and pain, and started to run, dragging 
Frank with him. The latter had been startled by 
the unexpected action of the spy, but he held on 
to the reins with desperation and refused to be 
shaken off. 

The spy drew a pistol from his belt and fired 
pointblank at Frank, the bullet grazing his ear. 
But he still hung on, and a moment later a score 
of his comrades had caught up to them and 
dragged the German from the horse's back. 

He fought desperately, for he knew that he 
was fighting for his life, and considerable force 
was necessary to subdue him. He was a sadly 
battered object when at last he was half dragged. 


TRAPPED 


15 


half carried into the presence of the major and 
other officers. 

The major looked at him, and his eyes had the 
glint of steel. 

‘'So this is the way you play the game of war,” 
he said, in tones of biting irony. ‘Ts there any- 
thing to which your country will not stoop?” 

The prisoner looked at him sullenly but made 
no reply. 

"Take him away,” the major directed. "A 
court-martial will attend to his case before sun- 
down.” 

The man was marched off, accompanied by 
his orderly who had also been secured, and as he 
passed Tom he favored him with a glance that 
was full of venom and malignity. 

The major turned to Tom. 

"You have done well, Bradford,” he said, "and 
you deserve the thanks of the regiment. Had 
that man’s trick succeeded it might have led to a 
serious situation. I will see that your name is 
mentioned in the order of the day. You can re- 
turn to your place.” 

Tom saluted and retired, and a murmur of ap- 
probation went up from the men as he passed 
them. 

Quick orders passed down the line, for now 
that the trick had failed an enemy attack could be 
expected at any moment. 


i6 


TRAPPED 


*'Good stuff, Tom!” exclaimed Frank approv- 
ingly as he clapped his comrade on the shoulder. 
"'You were Johnny-on-the-spot that time for 
fair.” 

“You were the real goods, old boy,” agreed 
Billy. “My heart was in my mouth for fear you 
might have made a mistake. And it’s mighty 
lucky that Frank had those reins, or the fellow 
might have got away after all.” 

“Not a chance,” replied Frank lightly. “A 
dozen bullets would have got him anyway. The 
game was up with him the minute he had to take 
off his glove.” 

“It was a regular Hun trick,” said Tom dis- 
dainfully. 

“And he nearly got away with it,” commented 
Billy. “He nearly had the major going. Why," 
he spoke English just as well as I do.” 

“That isn’t saying much,” chaffed Frank, and 
dodged the pass that Billy made at him. 

“Well, he didn’t put it over, and a miss is as 
good as a mile,” remarked Tom. 

“Did you see the look he shot at you as he went 
past?” said Billy. “If looks could kill you’d have 
died on the spot.” 

“There go the guns,” interrupted Frank, as the 
enemy artillery opened up in chorus with a roar 
that shook the ground, and a storm of shells 
came shrieking toward them. “They’re getting 


TRAPPED 


17 


ready to charge and the guns are laying down a 
barrage. We’ll have another hack at them soon."' 

They crouched lower and clutched their rifles 
tightly. And while these fearless young Ameri- 
cans are waiting for the onset, it may be well, for 
the sake of those who have not read the preceding 
books in this series, to tell who Frank and his 
comrades were and what they had been doing up 
to the time our story opens. 

Frank Sheldon was a stalwart young American 
who had been bom and reared in Camport, a 
prosperous city of about twenty-five thousand in- 
habitants. He was a bright, likable fellow, a 
leader in athletic sports and a general favorite. 
Above all he was a hundred per cent. American. 
His father had died some years before our story 
opens, and Frank was the only son and support 
of his mother to whom he was devotedly at- 
tached. She was a French woman whom Mr. 
Sheldon had married while on a business visit to 
France. She was the heiress to a considerable 
estate left by her father, but on account of the 
war had not been able to go to France to claim 
the property, the settlement of which had been 
held up by some legal complications. 

Frank had secured a good position with the 
firm of Moore and Thomas, and had excellent 
prospects for the future when the war broke out. 
His blood was on fire at once and he was eager 


i8 


TRAPPED 


to enlist, although for a time he was held back be- 
cause of his mother's dependence on him. An 
insult to the flag, however, which Frank promptly 
avenged by knocking down the guilty German, 
decided him, and he joined the old Thirty- 
seventh, the local regiment that had already seen 
service in other wars. With him enlisted his 
special chum, Bart Raymond, who was as ardent 
a patriot as Frank himself. Billy Waldon, an- 
other close friend, was already a member. Torn 
Bradford wanted to join, but was rejected on ac- 
count of his teeth, though afterward he was 
accepted in the draft, and the four friends to 
their great delight found themselves together. 

The only discordant element was Nick Rabig, 
bom in America but of German parents, who had 
been with them in the same firm in Camport, and 
had made himself thoroughly disliked because of 
his bullying disposition and pro-German senti- 
ments. He and Frank had been more than once 
on the point of blows, and finally, after Rabig 
had been caught in the draft and placed in the 
Thirty-seventh, Frank gave him the thrashing 
that he richly deserved. 

How the Army Boys went through their pe- 
riod of training; how they sailed for Europe and 
narrowly escaped being torpedoed by a subma- 
rine, what exciting adventures they met with in 
tKeir first contact with the enemy — ^these things 


TRAPPED 


19 


are told in the first volume of this series, entitled: 
''Army Boys in France; Or, From Training 
Camp to Trenches.” 

Once in the battle zone, thrilling experiences 
came thick and fast. The boys were not con- 
fined in their activities to the trenches, for the 
operations soon developed into open fighting. 
They were caught in a swirl of the fighting, pur- 
sued by Uhlan cavalry, compelled to leap from a 
broken bridge and finally captured by the Ger- 
mans. From this captivity they were rescued by 
their aviator friend, Dick Lever, and carried back 
to their lines in his aeroplane. Frank had some 
encouraging news about his mother’s property 
from a Colonel Pavet whose life he had saved on 
the battlefield. How rapidly the boys developed 
into veteran soldiers is told in the second volume 
of the series, entitled: "Army Boys in the French 
Trenches; Or, Hand to Hand Fights with the 
Enemy.” 

The great German drive was now preparing 
and the enemy in his first successes drove the 
Allies back and threatened to seize Paris and the 
Channel Ports. The old Thirty-seventh was 
thrown into the breach with the other American 
forces and did valiant work in holding the Ger- 
mans back. Tom was captured and had a series 
of stirring adventures before he rejoined his com- 
rades. Nick Rabig, who had been under suspi- 


20 


TRAPPED 


cion, from the start, was unmasked as a traitor. 
The boys had many hairbreadth escapes in des- 
perate fighting, as will be seen from the third 
volume of the series, entitled: ‘‘Army Boys on 
the Firing Line; Or, Holding Back the German 
Drive.” 

The great counter-attack of Marshal Foch in 
July, 1918, put an end to the enemy attempt to 
advance and sealed the doom of Germany. After 
that time the Huns were steadily on the retreat, 
although they still put up some bitter battles. 
Frank and his comrades were in the front rank of 
the jubilant American army that was helping to 
drive the enemy back to the Rhine. In the battle 
of St. Mihiel, the Army Boys did their full share 
of the fighting. By an unfortunate chain of cir- 
cumstances, Frank for a time seemed to be mixed 
up with the robbery of a paymaster’s messenger, 
but he was triumphantly cleared of the charge and 
Nick Rabig was discovered to be the real culprit. 
The story of the part the Army Boys played in 
the beating of the Huns is narrated in the fourth 
volume of the series, entitled, “Army Boys in the 
Big Drive; Or, Smashing Forward to Victory.” 

The artillery fire that was searching out the 
American positions increased in intensity, and in- 
dicated that the attack when it did come would be 
a determined one. 

“Fritz is sore,” remarked Tom grimly. 


TRAPPED 


21 


‘'Yes/’ chuckled Billy, “he’s peeved because his 
little game didn’t work. He had it all framed 
up that he was going to get this position for noth- 
ing and now he finds he’ll have to fight for it.” 

“It’s going to be a lovely scrap,” said Frank, 
peering through a chink in the log barricade that 
they had erected in consolidating their position. 
“I only wish that poor Bart could be here to 
share it with us. That boy would rather fight 
any time than eat.” 

“Maybe some of us will be with Bart sooner 
than he will be with us,” muttered Tom, who, 
though he had the heart of a lion, was usually 
seeing the darker side of things. 

Just then a shell came screaming through the 
air and dropped on the ground within ten feet of 
them. 

“Duck!” cried Billy, and like a flash they all 
threw themselves flat on the ground, turning their 
helmets in /he direction of the shell to give their 
heads as much protection as possible. 

But the explosion they had nerved themselves 
to hear did not take place, and after a few sec- 
onds they raised their heads and looked curiously 
in its direction. 

The shell lay harmlessly imbedded in the earth. 
From some defect, it had failed to explode. 

The boys scrambled to their feet and looked 
rather sheepishly at each other. 


22 


TRAPPED 


**K dud!” exclaimed Tom in profound disgust 
and yet with a certain measure of relief. 

false alarm,” remarked Billy as he brushed 
the dirt from his uniform. 

'Tt put one over on us that time for fair,” ad- 
mitted Frank, as he picked up his rifle. “But 
it^s a good sign, fellows. It shows the Heinies 
are running short of good powder and they have 
to use an inferior brand. You can bet that there 
aren't very many of our shells that don't explode 
when they fall into their lines.” 

“Here they come,” warned Billy. “Gee, but 
those lines are thick! They're putting all their 
eggs in one basket this time.” 

“The more that come the more to fall,” mut- 
tered Frank, the light of battle coming into his 
eyes. 

It seemed indeed as though the Germans were 
staking all the day’s results on a single throw, 
for they were in much greater force than before 
and they fell on the American lines like an ava- 
lanche. It was a form of fighting in which they 
were especially proficient and against weaker 
fighters they might have prevailed. But the old 
Thirty-seventh and the regiments to the right and 
left of it had met these men before and beaten 
them, had beaten them that very day, had seen 
their backs, and in their hearts they knew that 
they were their masters. 


TRAPPED 


23 


So that when the attack came it beat upon 
granite. A withering fire from machine guns 
tore through their ranks, and then from the rifles 
of the Americans, many of whom wore marks- 
men^s medals, leaped a sheet of flame that was the 
very blast of death. 

The thick enemy lines wavered, broke and re- 
treated. But under the urging and revolvers of 
their officers they formed again and came on only 
once more to be driven back with tremendous 
losses. This time they broke utterly and fled. 

The American officers saw their opportunity 
and gave the order to charge. Over their log 
shelter with a cheer went the American boys, and 
pursued the beaten enemy, gathering up prisoners 
as they went along. The rout was complete, and 
only ended when the enemy reached and crossed 
a canal which was in their rear. They blew up 
the bridges after they had crossed and there for a 
time the American pursuit came to an end. 

‘"Gee, but this has been some day!'' panted 
Frank happily, after it was all over and the regi- 
ment was resting after its well-earned victory. 

‘This is the end of a perfect day," hummed 
Billy. 

“The biggest day the old Thirty-seventh has 
had yet," declared Tom. 

“There's just one thing lacking," said Frank, 
“and that is that Bart isn't with iis. I'm going 


24 


TRAPPED 


to try to get leave the first thing in. the morning 
and get over to the hospital/’ 

Just then Corporal Wilson, 'whom they knew 
well, came up to them. 

‘'Been to mess yet?” he asked. 

“Sure thing,” grinned Billy, “and what we did 
to that chow was a sin and a shame.” 

The corporal smiled. 

“That’s good,” he said. “Fm looking for a 
few volunteers. And when I say volunteers you 
fellows know that the work I have in mind is 
dangerous, so dangerous in fact that I wouldn’t 
feel justified in ordering men to do it.” 

All three sprang to their feet. 

“Bring on your job,” cried Frank. 

“Trot it out,” said Billy. 

“Count me in,” added Tom. 

Warm approval shone in Wilson’s eyes. 

“I didn’t think I’d have to look much farther,” 
he said. “I’ve been on scouting trips with you 
fellows before and there’s nobody I’d rather have 
at my back if it came to a scrap. Go and get 
your black scouting suits and blacken your faces 
too. It’s going to be a black night but we can’t 
take too many precautions. When you’re ready, 
report to me and I’ll give you your instructions. 
Of course I’m going with you.” 

He passed on and the boys looked at each 
other. 


TRAPPED 


25 


“Wonder what the corp has on his mind?'' re- 
marked Frank. 

“Something risky you can bet," said Billy. 

“Well, you have to hand it to Wilson," ob- 
served Tom. “You notice he said he was going 
with us. He doesn't ask any one to go where he 
won't go himself." 

In a few minutes they had donned their scout 
suits and blackened their faces and reported to 
the corporal. They found him at his quarters 
dressed like themselves. By this time it was 
fully dark and time to start 


CHAPTER III 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 

‘We're going to try to cross that canal 
yonder,” the corporal explained. “Headquarters 
wants to learn something about the disposition of 
the German forces. If what we find out suits 
our officers, they may throw pontoons across and 
attack. If you ask me how we're going to get 
across tonight, I tell you frankly I don't know. 
Perhaps we’ll have to swim. We’ll have to trust 
to luck and our own wits. Are you ready? Then 
come along.” 

He led the way and they trailed after him like 
so many shadows into the night. 

There was no special reason for silence just 
yet, as the Army Boys followed their leader, for 
there were no Germans except wounded and 
prisoners left on this side of the canal, and they 
conversed freely among themselves, although in- 
stinctively in low tones. 

“If Bart were only with us!” said Frank re- 
gretfully. “We've never yet gone on a trip of 
this kind that that boy hasn't been along.” 

26 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


27 


“He’ll be kicking himself for having missed 
it,” prophesied Billy. 

“There promises to be excitement enough in 
this to satisfy even Bart,” added Tom. 

They soon passed through the last line of sen- 
tries and reached the bank of the canal, or river, 
being partly natural and partly artificial. It was 
quite a wide watercourse and there was a fringe 
of trees that bordered it back of the towpath and 
the boys kept close in the shadow of these. But 
they no longer stood erect, for they feared that 
some light from the camp might form a back- 
ground against which their figures could be seen. 
Down they went on hands and knees and crept 
along with the stealth of so many Indians out 
on a night foray. 

Across the canal they could see a long and ir- 
regular glow which came from the dugouts and 
trenches where the Germans had established 
themselves. The line was at some distance from 
the canal itself, but they did not doubt that sen- 
tries were established along the whole bank on 
the lookout for just such a venture as the boys 
were engaged in. 

“The corp was right in calling for volunteers,” 
whispered Frank in Billy’s ear. 

“Looks to me like the riskiest thing weVe been 
in yet,” returned Billy, 

“We’ll have to do some classy swimming to get 


28 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


over without making a splash/’ grunted Tom. 

For half a mile or more they kept on down the 
canal, until they got beyond the zone of light and 
felt it safe to rise and emerge from the woods, 
cross the towpath, and reach the very edge of the 
bank. 

In some places the bank went down straight 
into the water, and they could not drop in with- 
out making a noise. In others, however, it 
shelved somewhat, and these Wilson explored 
with the greatest care. 

Suddenly he stopped and beckoned the boys to 
come nearer. They gathered about him. 

‘'Look at this,” he whispered, and they saw 
that he had his hand on the stern of a small boat 
that had been drawn in the shelter of a little arch 
at the side of the canal. 

“Just what the doctor ordered,” commented 
Frank, as he saw that the boat was big enough 
to carry four on a pinch and could faintly see the 
outline of a pair of oars lying across the thwarts. 

“It beats swimming,” murmured Tom. 

“Get into it,” ordered Wilson. “No, don’t do 
that,” he said hastily, as Billy was about to take 
up one of the oars. “I’m afraid they’ll hear us if 
we use the oars. We’ll just push it across with 
our hands. It’s slower but it’s safer.” 

They slipped into the boat as silently as ghosts, 
and dipping their hands in the water with the ut- 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


29 


most caution began to propel the craft towards 
the further bank. 

The boat was a homemade affair, probably 
built by some peasant, and was heavy and clumsy. 
Moreover, with the four it was forced low in the 
water and moved with difficulty. But there was 
plenty of time, for they had the greater part of 
the night before them. 

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the boat pro- 
gressed. No shot greeted it, no hail from the 
shore told that it was discovered. The silence 
was almost uncanny. 

On they went until at last the further bank 
loomed up before them. Soon they were near 
enough to touch it with their hands. But it was 
smooth and steep and they could not reach the 
top. 

They worked their way along the wall, until 
finally they came to a place where several stones 
had fallen out, so that the holes left by them 
served as holds for their hands and feet. At a 
whispered command from the corporal, Frank 
worked his way up until his eyes were on a level 
with the top of the bank. There he stood and 
looked and listened with every faculty intent. 

‘'Nothing stirring,” he reported, as he let him- 
self down again in the boat. “Either the Ger- 
mans haven't strung their lines down this far or 
they're lying mighty low. I think it's worth tak- 


30 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


ing a chance to land here. There's a patch of 
woods a hundred yards or so away, and if we can 
reach that we can take our bearings and decide 
on what well do next/' 

“All right," said the corporal after a moment's 
consideration. ‘Til chance it on your judgment, 
Sheldon. Well leave the boat here and Brad- 
ford with it" 

Tom made a move to protest, but discipline as- 
serted itself and he resigned himself without a 
word, although sorely disappointed at not being 
allowed to go on with the others. 

“The hoot of an owl will be the signal," Wil- 
son told him as they prepared to leave the boat. 
“When you hear that, give the answer so that we 
can find our way to where you are. Have the 
oars all ready, as we may have to leave in a 
hurry." 

Tom nodded his understanding and the rest 
left him, dropping flat on the bank as soon as 
they reached the top and worming their way over 
the space that intervened between them and the 
patch of woods some distance beyond. 

The strain on nerves and muscles was tre- 
mendous and it was with a sigh of relief that 
they reached the shelter of the woods. Here 
they could rise to their feet, although even this 
required the most extreme care. They were by 
no means assured that it was a friendly shelter. 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


31 


It might contain machine gun nests or strong 
forces of the enemy. 

Five minutes of the most intense silence and 
listening passed before they dared even to whis- 
per to each other. Convinced at last that no one 
was close at hand, the boys drew near the cor- 
poral for his final instructions. 

“We"re certainly in luck so far,” he breathed. 
*The only explanation of the failure to have sen- 
tries here is that they had no idea today that they 
were going to be driven back so far as to have to 
cross the canal. They came over helter-skelter 
and theyVe been so busy in blowing up bridges 
and getting their rattled forces together that 
other things have had to wait. But it's only a 
matter of time before they'll have guards set 
here, and we want to get back before that hap- 
pens, if possible. Bring your watch hands close 
to mine and let’s compare so as to see that we 
have the same time.” 

They did as directed, and the illumined faces 
of their radio watches showed that their time was 
practically the same. 

‘Tive after ten,” remarked the corporal. ‘‘That 
gives us two hours until midnight. At twelve 
o’clock sharp, wherever you happen to be, start 
back for the boat. You’ve each got a compass 
and you can come pretty close to the place, and 
the owl signal will do the rest. Find out what- 


32 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


ever you can as to where the enemy has his bat- 
tery positions, where he has gathered his greatest 
force, and where his wire entanglements are 
weakest. You’ve ,^ot your knives, and if I were 
you I’d depend on those if you find it necessary. 
Only use your revolver as a last resort, for if you 
have to fire the jig is up. 

‘'Now we’re going to spread out like a fan. 
Sheldon, you go off there to the left. Waldon 
will bear a little away from the canal bank toward 
the north, and I’ll take the path between you two. 
I don’t need to tell you that your life depends on 
your being careful. You know that as well as 
I do. Twelve o’clock sharp, mind. Good-bye 
and good luck.” 

Without another word they separated, gliding 
from tree to tree and gradually getting further 
apart, as they followed the general path that had 
been marked out for them. 

Frank had not gone far before he had increas- 
ing evidence that he was approaching the main 
body of the enemy’s troops. The light grew 
brighter that came from the hastily dug trenches 
of the enemy. Groups of men passed to and fro 
with lanterns, sometimes coming so close to the 
sheltering woods that he had to flatten himself in 
the bushes, scarcely daring to breathe until they 
had passed. 

Reaching at last the edge of the forest, he rose 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


33 


to his feet behind a huge tree and peered out. He 
could have shouted with delight, for he saw that 
he had happened upon a spot where the enemy 
was concentrating their heavy artillery. Great 
guns were being moved into position, emplace- 
ments for them were being hastily constructed, 
and he was able by the lanterns that flitted in and 
out among them like so many fire-flies to get a 
fairly accurate idea of their number and calibre. 
Here was information that would be more pre- 
cious than gold to his officers. He could take no 
notes, but he went over the whole scene again 
and again in his mind, so that he should forget 
no detail. 

So absorbed did he become in noting all that he 
thought might be of value to his officers that 
when a stream of light was thrown suddenly in 
his direction it struck him with almost the force 
of a blow. 

He drew back like a flash and flattened himself 
against his side of the tree, making himself as 
small as possible. 

After a minute or two he ventured to peer out. 
The light which came from a searchlight which 
was being tested by the enemy was darting about, 
now here, now there, but evidently without any 
special purpose in view, and his first fear that it 
had betrayed his hiding place subsided. But an- 
other apprehension took its place at once, for he 


34 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


saw a man in an officer's uniform coming directly 
toward him. 

Frank instinctively felt for his revolver, but he 
dismissed that thought before his hand touched 
the butt. With enemies swarming all about him, 
a shot at that moment would be little less than 
suicide. But his knife was still there, and his 
hand closed around its handle while his lips tight- 
ened with resolution. 

The officer came on and Frank crouched for a 
spring in case he should be discovered. But to 
his great relief, the officer paused just before he 
reached the tree, drew a pipe from his pocket and 
lighted it. Then with a grunt of satisfaction he 
leaned up against the tree and puffed away, while 
he looked at the animated scene from which he 
had withdrawn for a few minutes of rest and re- 
laxation. 

The tobacco was vile, more like burning leaves 
than anything else, and as the clouds from the 
pipe enveloped Frank, he had all he could do to 
keep from coughing or sneezing. But he kept 
the impulse in check and waited with what pa- 
tience he could command for the officer’s next 
move. 

The searchlight was flashing in another quar- 
ter now, for which Frank was devotedly thank- 
ful, but there was still too much light to make it 
safe for the young American to attempt to crawl 


A BREATHLESS MOMENT 


35 


away. He glanced at his watch and saw that it 
was nearly midnight. The corporal and his 
chums would be waiting for him. 

With infinite caution he peered around the 
side of the tree. Would that pipeful never be 
smoked out ? 

The officer had shifted his position somewhat, 
and Frank caught a glimpse of a paper protrud- 
ing from an outside pocket of his coat. It 
looked like an official document of some kind. 
The thought came to Frank that it might contain 
some plans of the enemy for the next day’s 
fighting. 

It was a tremendous risk to attempt to get it, 
but Frank resolved to take the chance. 

Drawing his knife and holding it ready for in- 
stant action, his other hand reached slowly 
around the tree and crept toward the officer’s 
pocket. 


CHAPTER IV 


IN THE TUNNEL 

Slowly, so slowly that it scarcely seemed to 
move, Frank's hand advanced until the fingers 
closed on the paper. Fortunately it protruded 
far enough for Frank to get a good grip on it 

If his hand had trembled, he would have been 
betrayed in an instant. But the experiences he 
had been through had steeled Frank's nerves and 
his muscles worked with the precision of a ma- 
chine. 

A fraction of an inch at a time, he drew the 
paper out until it was clear of the officer's pocket. 
Then he transferred it to his own. He had won. 
And he was jubilant. 

Still, he was in imminent danger. At any mo- 
ment the officer might discover his loss, think he 
had dropped the paper and begin to look around 
for it. That would be unlucky for Frank. But, 
the young soldier thought grimly, as he gripped 
his knife tightly, it might be still more unlucky 
for the officer. 

The pipe was smoked out now. The officer 
36 


IN THE TUNNEL 


37 


tapped it against the tree to knock the ashes out 
and seemed of two minds as to whether he should 
refill it. He finally decided that he had stayed 
there long enough, an opinion with which Frank 
heartily agreed, thrust his pipe in his pocket and 
started to walk away. Frank watched him with 
his heart in his mouth. Would he discover his 
loss? 

The officer had gone about ten feet when 
Frank saw him give a sudden start. He uttered 
an exclamation in German and then felt hurriedly 
in all his pockets. Then he turned and began to 
retrace his steps slowly, his eyes glued to the 
ground. 

‘'Now Fm in for it,” thought Frank, as his 
muscles stiffened. 

But the officer came no farther than the foot of 
the tree. That to his mind marked the limit of 
where the paper could possibly be. He dropped 
on his hands and knees and looked in the grass, 
but of course to no avail. Then he rose, brushed 
off his clothes and muttering harshly to himself 
he strode off in the direction of the camp, search- 
ing every foot of the way as he went along. 
There was a bad quarter of an hour in store for 
him when he should have to confess the loss of 
the paper to his superior officer. 

Frank only waited until the officer was at a 
safe distance. Then he wound his way on his 


38 


IN THE TUNNEL 


hands and knees through underbrush until he was 
well beyond the zone of light of the camp. Only 
then did he rise to his feet and slipping from one 
tree to another hurried in the direction where his 
compass told him he would find the boat. 

When he reached the line of trees that bor- 
dered the canal, he paused and gave the hoot of 
an owl. A moment later, there was an answer- 
ing call that enabled him to locate the boat’s posi- 
tion. He made his way to the bank and looking 
over saw the dark outline of the boat. 

‘‘Are you there, Tom?” he whispered. 

“Fm here all right,” came Tom’s voice in an- 
swer. “Tumble in.” 

In a jiffy, Frank had let himself down in the 
boat and grasped his friend’s hand. 

“I’m mighty glad you’re back,” whispered 
Tom, in great relief. “I began to fear the Huns 
had got you. Any luck?” 

“I got a pretty good line on some things that 
our officers want to know,” replied Frank, “and 
I’ve got a paper in my pocket that may be worth 
something. The fellow that lost it seemed to 
think it was important, judging from the fran- 
tic way he was looking for it. You didn’t think 
that your old friend would ever turn pickpocket, 
did you ?” 

He told his story in whispers, and Tom 
chuckled as he listened to it. 


IN THE TUNNEL 


39 


**Good work, old man,*' he murmured. 

‘‘But what’s keeping Billy and the corporal?” 
asked Frank anxiously. “It’s getting on toward 
one o’clock.” 

Just then the owl call came, and a moment later 
the corporal dropped cautiously down into the 
waiting boat. 

“Anything doing?” was the first question he 
asked of Tom after greetings had been ex- 
changed. 

“Nothing much,” answered Tom. “I heard a 
patrol going along the road about an hour ago, 
and later on I heard the stroke of oars. But it 
was too dark for me to see anything.” 

He had scarcely spoken when a volley of shots 
rang out. There were hoarse shouts and the 
sound of running feet. Then along came Billy, 
panting and breathless. 

“The Huns!” he gasped, as he dropped into 
the boat. “They nearly got me and they’re close 
behind. We’ll have to make a quick get-away or 
they’ll nab us.” 

“Quick I” ordered the corporal. “Sheldon, you 
take one oar and Bradford the other. Pull for 
the other side as fast as you can. Don’t splash 
any more than you can help, or we’ll be a mark 
for the Huns’ bullets. Quick now I” 

The boys needed no urging, for the sounds told 
them that their foe had almost reached the bank 


40 


IN THE TUNNEL 


of the canal. They bent to the oars and the boat 
shot away from the shore. But they had scarcely 
taken three strokes before a star shell rose from 
the enemy side of the canal and shed a greenish 
ghastly radiance over the scene. By its light, 
they saw a dozen or more Germans on the bank 
they had just left, and a volley of bullets that 
came singing over their heads and about the boat 
told them that they offered a good target. 

But it was not this group of enemies that gave 
them the greatest concern. A more serious peril 
threatened them. For in that green flare of the 
star shell they saw two boats between them and 
the shore they sought. And the guttural shouts 
that had come from these boats at their discovery 
told the Americans that the occupants were Ger- 
mans. 

They grasped the situation at once. These 
were the boats whose oar strokes had been heard 
by Tom. There were half a dozen men in each 
boat and their errand on the American side had 
been the same as that of the Army Boys among 
the Germans. 

It was a time for quick thinking, and the cor- 
poral was equal to the emergency. His party was 
outnumbered three to one by the men in the 
enemy boats, to say nothing of their comrades on 
the farther shore. ♦The first star shell had faded, 
but others followed in quick succession, so that 


IN THE TUNNEL 


41 


there was no chance to slip between the enemy 
boats in the darkness. 

"'Turn her head upstream,” ordered Wilson, 
and the boat swung roimd. 

"Now, pull for your lives,” the corporal com- 
manded. "Our only chance is to get far enough 
ahead of those fellows to cut into the shore. 
When you fellows are tired, Waldon and I will 
take the oars. Pull, now, pull!” 

Frank and Tom obeyed, putting every ounce 
of strength into their strokes, until it seemed as 
though the oars must snap. The boat sprang 
forward like a live thing, while the corporal and 
Billy, with their bodies concealed as much as pos- 
sible, sent shot after shot from their revolvers 
at the men in the German boats. 

The enemy had grasped the purpose of the 
turning upstream, and both boats raced on, try- 
ing to keep on a line with the Americans and pre- 
vent them turning in to shore. At the same time, 
the German patrol on the further bank ran along 
the shore with a constant crackling of rifle fire. 
Bullets whistled about the boat, some of them 
penetrating the side. One of them went through 
the corporal’s sleeve, grazing his arm and bring- 
ing blood. Another knocked Tom’s oar from 
his hand, but he recovered it in a desperate grab 
before it got out of reach, and the boat kept on 
with only a momentary lessening of its speed. 


42 


IN THE TUNNEL 


, Suddenly Billy gave an exclamation of alarm 
:as a dark wall of what appeared to be solid rock 
! loomed up before them. 

‘‘Back water !” he shouted. “The boat will be 
^ smashed !*’ 

“Go ahead,” countermanded Wilson after a 
I quick glance. “It's a tunnel. There's nothing to 
■ do but keep on. It kills our chance of getting to 
[the shore. But on the other hand it's dark in 
^ there and we may be able to double on these fel- 
lows and give them the slip. Keep on.” 

The boat shot quickly into the blackness of the 
! tunnel through which the canal flowed at that 
I point. The bullets ceased to sing about them. 
The radiance of the star shells died away. Dark- 
ness enfolded them, a darkness so intense that 
they were absolutely hidden from each other. 
They rowed along for some distance with un- 
diminished speed. Then as no sound of oars 
was heard in pursuit, the corporal gave the word 
to lay on the oars. 

“Some race!” panted Frank as he wiped the 
perspiration from his forehead. 

“But we beat them to it !” gasped Tom. “Gee, 
I never worked so hard in my life!” 

“They don't seem to be following us,” com- 
mented Billy. 

The corporal pulled out his flashlight and 
turned it around them. They were startled to 


IN THE TUNNEL 


43 


see how the stream had narrowed after entering 
the tunnel. There was barely room for two 
barges to pass each other. 

The corporal’s face was grave as he made the 
discovery. 

“No chance of doubling on them in here,” he 
remarked. “Looks very much as if they’d got 
us in a trap. If they follow us up, we’ll have to 
fight it out. And we haven’t got too much am- 
munition left. I sent most of my bullets at the 
Huns in the boats.” 

“You toppled over two of them,” said Tom. 
“I saw them drop. But there’s a lot of them 
left.” 

“There’s a light at the mouth of the tunnel!’' 
exclaimed Billy. 

They looked back. 

From the point that they had reached the tun- 
nel extended back to its mouth as straight as an 
arrow, and they could see the two boats that had 
been in pursuit lying beside each other, while 
from the light of a lantern in the bow of one they 
could see the figures of the men engaged in an 
animated debate. They seemed to be divided as 
to the course to pursue. 

“Wonder if they’ll follow us in,” murmured 
Tom. 

“They don’t seem to relish the idea very 
much,” remarked Frank. 


44 


IN THE TUNNEL 


“The chances are that they will,” judged the 
corporal. “They know that they outnumber us, 
and they won’t want to let us go back to our 
lines with the information weVe picked up.” 

Suddenly the light went out. 

“I wonder what that means,” said Billy anx- 
iously. 

“I think it means they’re coming,” replied the 
corporal. “They put the light out so that they 
won’t offer a mark for our revolvers. It looks as 
though it might come to a battle in the dark.” 

“If it does. I’ll match our eyes against theirs,” 
remarked Frank confidently. 

“We’ll get at the oars again,” said the corporal. 
“I don’t know how long this tunnel is, but it must 
end somewhere. If we can reach the outlet and 
find no Germans there, we’ll have a chance to get 
back to our lines by land. If not, we’ll have to 
give these fellows a fight, no matter by how many 
they outnumber us. I only wish we had more 
ammunition. A few more shots and we’ll be 
through.” 

“We’ve got our knives anyway,” said Tom, 
“and Heinie hates knife fighting at close quar- 
ters.” 

“I’ve got a hand grenade,” put in Frank. “I 
picked it up as we were coming away from camp, 
on the chance that it might come in handy in case 
we were discovered.” 


IN THE TUNNEL 


45 


‘'Good work,” said the corporal approvingly. 
“But now we’d better start. Waldon and I will 
take the oars, so as to give you other fellows a 
rest. Make as little noise as you can but work 
fast.” 

They bent to their work, quickened somewhat 
by the faint sound of oars which told them that 
the enemy was approaching. 


CHAPTER V 


A MASTER STROKE 

With fresh arms at the oars, they hit up a 
rapid gait, which in that unknown passage was 
not without its dangers. The darkness was so 
intense that they could not see a foot ahead of 
them, and they dared not use the flashlight for 
fear it would betray their location to their pur- 
suers. 

*'LePs hope this tunnel is straight all the way 
through,” muttered Tom. ‘Tf there’s a winding 
in it and we bring up against the sides it may send 
us all to kingdom come.” 

‘'Right you are,” returned Frank, "but there’s 
no help for it. We’ve got to take our chance.” 

He had scarcely gotten the words out of his 
mouth when what Tom had feared came to pass. 
The boat smashed head on into the rocky wall 
where the tunnel described a curve. There was 
a grinding of oars, a splintering of planks and a 
startled exclamation from the Army Boys. 

Luckily Frank and Tom had been sitting in the 
stern of the boat, and, though they were badly 


A MASTER STROKE 


47 


shaken, escaped the full force of the blow. Billy 
and the corporal were thrown from their seats 
into the bottom of the boat. The bow was 
smashed in, and a great jagged hole in the side 
opened the way for a flood of water that rushed 
in. In a moment the boat had sunk to the 
gunwales. Another moment and she had gone 
under the surface and the four occupants found 
themselves floundering in the water. 

All were expert swimmers, and the ducking 
meant nothing in itself. But the loss of the boat 
might well mean the loss of their liberty or their 
lives. 

They swam to the rocky side nearest them and 
clambered up on the bank. The path along the 
canal was a narrow one and the wall of the tun- 
nel rose up perfectly smooth on the further side 
of it, affording no opportunity of concealment. 

The corporal gathered them around him. It 
was time for quick thinking for the sound of 
oars had grown plainer and the enemy would 
soon be upon them. 

‘We’ll have to run for it,” Wilson whispered. 
“We ought to be able to keep ahead of them until 
we reach the other end of the tunnel. It would 
be easy enough if we could see where we were 
going, but we’ll have to feel our way and make 
sure we don’t tumble into the canal. We’ve got 
the chance that they may make the same mistake 


48 


A MASTER STROKE 


that we did and smash into the canal walL But 
then again they may know more about the way 
the canal runs and steer clear of it. Come along, 
now. I’ll lead the way and you fellows keep close 
behind me.” 

They started off at as rapid a pace as they 
dared in the pitch blackness and soon had the 
satisfaction of noting that the sound of oars had 
grown fainter, thus indicating that they were 
outdistancing their pursuers. 

They had kept this up for perhaps ten min- 
utes when they caught sight of something that 
seemed like a star in the distance. But as they 
they drew nearer they saw that it was a fire that 
had been built on the canal bank, and soon they 
could detect the figures of men moving about it. 

They stopped short for consultation. 

'^There’s a patrol of some kind there,” said the 
corporal, as he strained his eyes, ‘‘and it isn’t 
likely that it’s anybody we care to meet. Shel- 
don, your eyes are the best. See if you can make 
out those uniforms.” 

“I think they’re Huns,” judged Frank, after a 
moment’s intense scrutiny. “But we’ll have to 
get a trifle closer before I can be sure of it.” 

They moved a hundred feet closer and then 
conjecture gave way to certainty. 

“No doubt about it,” pronounced Frank. 
“They’re Huns, as sure as shooting. And there 


A MASTER STROKE 


49 


are twenty of them if there’s one. They’re right 
in our path and there’s no getting around them.” 

It was grave news, and their pulses quickened 
as they recognized their peril. 

The corporal pondered a moment before reach- 
ing a decision. 

'We’re between two fires,” he said. "It would 
be suicide to go forward with our numbers and 
our scanty ammunition. With the fellows in the 
boats we’ve still got a chance. We’ll have to 
double on our tracks and try to get past the 
boats. When we hear them coming close, we’ll 
lie down flat on the path and trust to their pass- 
ing us without seeing us. The only thing that 
will queer us will be if they happen to flash a 
light when they’re abreast of us.” 

The young soldiers followed him as he turned 
and started on the return journey, listening as 
they went for tokens of the enemy’s approach. 

Soon the sound of oars grew distinct. The 
corporal gave a whispered command and they 
flattened themselves on the bank as far away 
from the edge as possible. 

Nearer and nearer came the boat. They lis- 
tened in vain for the second craft. It was evi- 
dent that it was either far behind or perhaps had 
been left at the mouth of the tunnel to trap them 
when they should try to emerge. 

Closer, still closer the boat came, and the Army 


50 


A MASTER STROKE 


Boys lay like so many statues, holding their 
breath lest the slightest sound should betray 
them. 

Now they knew that the boat was almost 
abreast, as they could hear the labored breathing 
of the men tugging at the oars. 

But just then the leader of the Huns turned a 
flashlight in their direction, revealing the four 
figures. There was a shout, a sharp command in 
guttural tones, a dropping of oars and a click of 
rifles as the men raised them to their shoulders. 

But quick as they were, Frank was quicker. 

Lithe as a panther, he sprang to his feet and 
hurled the grenade that he had been holding in 
his hand full at the boat. 

There was a blinding flash, a terrific explosion 
and the air was filled with flying bodies and 
debris. Frank himself was thrown to the ground 
by the shock, but scrambled to his feet again, 
none the worse except for a few bruises. 

It was too dark to see the effects of the ex- 
plosion, but the dead silence that followed told 
its own story. There was nothing more to be 
feared from that special group of enemies. 

His own comrades gathered around Frank, 
themselves too dazed and shaken by the sudden- 
ness of the whole affair to understand fully just 
what had happened. 

'What did it?” asked Billy. 


A MASTER STROKE 


51 


'That was the grenade I was telling you fel-r 
lows about a few minutes ago/' replied Frank. 
“I thought of it again just when I dropped to 
the ground. I figured that I might have a chance 
to smash their boat with it, so I got it out and 
had it ready in my hand." 

'‘Great stuff, Sheldon," said the corporal 
warmly. "It did the work all right. It's lucky 
we only had one boat to deal with. But now 
we've got to make tracks for the mouth of the 
tunnel." 

"And we can't do it any too quick either," said 
Tom, as the sound of a commotion rose behind 
them. "Those fellows round that fire have heard 
that explosion and they’ll be coming on the double 
quick to see what's up." 

There was a growing din behind them that 
hastened their steps as they hurried along. Once, 
Billy going too near the edge nearly fell into the 
canal, from which he was saved by Tom's quick 
grab of his arm. At intervals the corporal used 
his flashlight on the narrow road ahead of him 
but he did not dare to do it very often, for fear 
that the light might be seen by Huns who might 
be lying in wait at the tunnel's mouth. 

Soon they were conscious from the increasing 
freshness of the air that they were nearing the 
entrance. They slackened their steps a little, for 
the noise in the rear had died down. They did 


52 


A MASTER STROKE 


not interpret this as meaning that their adver- 
saries had given up the chase, but thought it 
more likely that they had halted at the scene of 
the explosion to try to fathom its meaning. 

*‘Now,’’ said the corporal, when they were 
within a few yards of the entrance, *l’m going 
to scout ahead and see whether that other boat 
is hanging about. If it isn’t we’ll have an easy 
time in swimming to the bank. If it is, we’ll 
have some fighting before we win out.” 

He stole away like an Indian, but almost be- 
fore the boys realized that he had gone he was 
back again. 

'^They’re out there all right,” he reported. 
‘'The boat is lying about twenty feet from the 
mouth. I couldn’t see it, but I located it from 
some low talking that was going on. There’s 
nothing to do but make a sudden dash, catch 
them unawares and get to the other side before 
they recover. Now here’s how I figure we may 
do it,” and he outlined his plan hurriedly while 
the young Army Boys listened intently. 

‘Tt sounds good,” said Frank. '‘And there’s 
another reason why we’ve got to do it anyway,” 
he added, as a sound of hurrying feet behind 
them told them that the Hun patrol had again 
taken up the pursuit. 

They followed the corporal to the tunnel’s 
mouth. For an instant they stood there listen- 


A MASTER STROKE 


53 


ing, until they had located the position of the 
boat 

"‘Now!’' shouted Wilson. 

Their revolvers spoke at the same moment and 
there were cries from the boat that told that the 
bullets had found a mark. Then they hurled 
their revolvers into the mass that the light of 
their shots had revealed, dived into the water, and 
struck out for the further side. 

There was a wild commotion in the boat that 
had been so suddenly attacked. The inmates had 
been taken totally by surprise and the confusion 
was indescribable. 

Those who had not been wounded and still re- 
tained their wits sprang to the oars and tried to 
turn the boat in the direction of the boys. Oth- 
ers seized their weapons and sent a scattering 
volley after the fugitives. But the shots were 
fired at random and went wild, although one or 
two struck the water uncomfortably close. 

It was a case of surprise and audacity win- 
ning out against odds. All of the Americans 
could swim like fish, and as the distance to the 
shore was not great, it was only a matter of two 
or three minutes before they struck the bank 
and clambered up its sides. A moment more and 
they had crossed the path and reached the shelter 
of the trees on the further side. Only then did 
they pause to take breath. 


54 


A MASTER STROKE 


‘‘A close call/' gasped Frank, as he shook the 
water from his face and hair. 

‘‘Closer than I care for,” remarked the cor- 
poral, “but weVe come off scot free, or at least I 
hope we have. Any of you fellows wounded?” 

“Never touched me,” grinned Billy. 

“Same here,” echoed Frank and Tom jubi- 
lantly. 

“Good,” said the corporal. “I think our offi- 
cers will be satisfied with the night's work. 
We've got a lot of information, and we've ac- 
counted for quite a number of Huns while we 
were getting it. Now we'll go straight to head- 
quarters.” 

There was no occasion for secrecy now, as they 
were in their own lines, and they made good 
‘ time past the sentinels and to the section where 
the old Thirty-seventh lay. Their officers were 
poring over maps in earnest consultation, but 
Captain Baker and Major Willis came forward 
when the party appeared. 

The corporal saluted and made his report. 
Then each of the Army Boys was questioned in 
turn as to his share in the night's events. The 
information they had gained was of marked 
value for the coming day's operations, but by 
far the greatest importance was given to the 
paper that Frank had so cleverly extracted from 
the German officer's pocket. A general laugh 


A MASTER STROKE 


55 


went round when they heard the story of how 
it had been done, but amusement was soon lost 
in excitement as they scanned the paper. 

‘Why,” exclaimed Major Willis, “it's a com- 
plete plan of the defenses of the Jager Brigade, 
the one that's right opposite our part of the line ! 
The Germans would rather have lost a million 
dollars than to have had that paper fall into our 
hands.'' 

“The beauty of it is,” replied Captain Baker, 
“that they don't know we've got it. If they did, 
they'd change their plan. But it's ten to one 
theyll think it's lying around in their own lines 
somewhere and they'll just give the officer a 
reprimand for carelessness and let it go at that.” 

“You have done very well, Sheldon,” said 
Major Willis, turning to Frank. “It was an 
excellent piece of work. The names of all of 
you will be mentioned in the order of the day and 
there may be other rewards in store for you. 
You made no mistake. Corporal, in picking out 
your men,” he continued, turning to Wilson. 
“You were fortunate in your helpers and they 
were worthy of their leader. You may go now.” 

They saluted and retired, tired and almost ex- 
hausted with the strain they had been under, but 
happy in the commendation of their officers and 
the consciousness that they had played their part 
well. 


A MASTER STROKE 


56 

‘There’s just one thing lacking,” said Frank, 
as they were getting ready to turn in, “and that 
is that poor Bart wasn’t along.” 

“Good old Bart,” said Billy regretfully. “How 
he would have enjoyed that scrapping. He’ll 
feel cheated when he hears of it.” 

“That boy would rather fight than eat,” was 
Tom’s tribute to their absent friend. “I’d give 
a lot to know just how he’s getting along with 
that broken head of his.” 

“We’ll go over to the hospital the first thing 
in the morning and find out,” said Frank, as he 
rolled himself in his blankets. 


CHAPTER VI 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 

But when the morning came, there was no 
chance to make the intended visit, for the regi- 
ment was shifting its position in preparation for 
an attack on the enemy lines. Orders were fly- 
ing thick and fast, orderlies were riding from 
one division to another, and it was evident that 
a great battle was impending. Artillery was 
being brought up from the rear, for the army 
had gone ahead so fast on the preceding day that 
they had outdistanced their guns. Tanks, too, 
were massing in great numbers on the front. 

As one of the great monsters was lumbering 
by where the boys were stationed, something 
went wrong with the machinery and the driver 
stepped out to adjust it. An exclamation of de- 
light broke from the Army Boys, as they recog- 
nized the bronzed face of their old friend. Will 
Stone. 

His pleasure at the meeting was just as great, 
and his face was beaming as he came over to 
them with outstretched hands. 


57 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


5 ^ 

‘What good wind blew you up this way?'' 
asked Frank, after the first greetings were over. 

“Been ordered up here to help you fellows 
clean out the Argonne forest," answered Stone 
with a grin. “Some job, too, if all I hear about 
the place is true." 

“It's a big job, sure enough," admitted Frank. 

“Oh, well, weVe turned the trick whenever we 
tackled the Huns so far, and I guess we're not 
going to fall down on this," said Billy. 

“Where's Bart?" asked Stone, as he glanced 
about him. “I hope nothing’s happened to him." 

“Nothing fatal, we hope," responded Frank 
soberly. “He hit his head against a stump, in a 
charge we were making yesterday morning, and 
cut it badly. They took him off to the hospital 
and we were figuring on going over today and 
seeing how he was getting along. But I’m afraid 
we can't get off if we're going to attack." 

“Too bad," said Stone sympathetically, “but 
I don't think we need to figure on an attack to- 
day. They won't be able to get things in readi- 
ness before night. I was tipped off a little while 
ago that the fight was going to start tomorrow 
morning at dawn. So you may be able to see 
Bart today. If you do, tell him I was asking 
about him and that I'm rooting for him to get 
well. But I'll have to tinker up this machine of 
mine and be getting along." 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


59 


With a cordial wave of the hand he left them, 
and after adjusting the machinery started off to 
reach his appointed part of the line. 

'‘He’s a bully good fellow,” remarked Frank 
admiringly, as they gazed after him. 

"You bet he is,” agreed, Tom. 

Stone’s prophecy proved to be correct, for late 
that afternoon it was announced that the attack 
would take place on the following morning. The 
men were released from standing in readiness 
and the Army Boys had no difficulty in getting 
permission to visit their comrade. 

But the hopes they had cherished of finding 
Bart better were doomed to disappointment. 
They were taken by the Red Cross nurse into the 
ward in which he lay, his face flushed with fever, 
his hands clenching and unclenching, while inco- 
herent mutterings came from his lips. It wrung 
their hearts to see their chum in such a plight. 

"What does the doctor say about him?” Frank 
asked the nurse anxiously. 

"He says that the case is very serious,” was 
the reply. "He fears that it may develop into 
brain fever. He said this morning that if it were 
not for the splendid vitality of the patient, he 
wouldn’t have a chance. As it is, he hopes he 
may pull him through.” 

The boys were shocked by this verdict. They 
had been through so many adventures with Bart, 


6o 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


he had been siKh a loyal and dependable com- 
rade, that it seemed as though he had become a 
part of themselves. Army life without Bart with 
them seemed almost unthinkable. 

"'Of course,” the nurse hastened to reassure 
them, as she saw their clouded faces, "it may not 
prove as serious as the doctor fears. It will be 
a day or two before he can predict with some 
degree of certainty.” 

There was nothing to do but hope, and the 
boys left the hospital with downcast faces and 
heavy hearts. They knew that they were carry- 
ing a burden that would not be lightened until 
Bart was once more at their side. 

On their way back, they passed a prison pen 
where a large number of Germans captured in 
the previous day’s fighting were confined. Most 
of these were out in the open, but there were 
some small structures in the enclosure where 
those who were charged with serious offenses 
were imprisoned under guard of sentries who 
were pacing up and down before the huts. 

"There’s Fred Anderson,” remarked Tom. 

"Hello, Fred,” called out Billy. 

"How are you, Billy?” responded Fred, com- 
ing to a pause as they drew near. "I see you 
fellows are coming from the hospital. Been 
over to see Bart, I suppose. How’s the old scout 
getting along?” 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


6i 


“He's in a bad fix," responded Frank sadly. 
“The doctor doesn't know whether he'll pull 
through or not." 

“That's too bad," said Fred with genuine re- 
gret, for Bart was a general favorite with the 
members of the Thirty-seventh. “I hope he'll 
come around all right." 

“We all hope that," responded Billy. “All the 
boys of the old regiment will be rooting for him. 
How comes it that you're on sentry duty, Fred?" 

“Just my hard luck," grumbled Fred. “Whom 
do you think I'm guarding in here?" 

“Oh, some old Hun, I suppose, with an un- 
pronounceable name," said Billy carelessly. 

“Bad guess," 'grinned Fred. “It's Nick Ra- 
big." 

The name acted like an electric shock on the 
three comrades. 

“Rabig !" they exclaimed in the same breath. 

“That's what," said Fred. “Seems to be popu- 
lar with you fellows, I don't think." 

“The yellow dog !" exclaimed Billy. 

“The traitor!" growled Frank. 

“Why haven't they settled his case long ago ?" 
gritted Tom. “He ought to have been stood up 
before a firing squad the day after they captured 
him the last time." 

“That's what he deserved all right," agreed 
Fred. “He's the only fellow that ever disgraced 


62 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


the colors of the old Thirty-seventh. The fact 
is, I suppose, that weVe been so busy chasing the 
Huns out of France that a court-martial hasn’t 
had time to attend to his case. But it’s a dead 
open and shut case and he’ll get his all right when 
the time comes.” 

‘Tt’s a long time coming,” grumbled Tom, 
who, as our readers will remember, had especial 
cause to despise the man whom he had caught in 
the very act of dealing with the enemy. 

‘Well, so long, old man,” said Frank, as the 
friends prepared to go on their way. “Sorry you 
got stuck with guard duty. Hope your time’s 
nearly up.” 

“I’ve got half an hour at it yet,” replied Fred, 
as he consulted his wrist watch and shouldered 
his rifle. “I’ll be back with you then, if a Hun 
shell doesn’t get me. Their batteries have been 
trying to get our range, and they’re getting un- 
comfortably close with their high explosives. 
We’ll have to move our prisoners farther back 
if they keep it up much longer.” 

“Here comes a shell now,” exclaimed Frank, 
who had learned by long experience to tell from 
the whining of a shell just about where it was 
going to land. “Down, fellows, quick !” 

They dropped flat on the ground and none too 
soon to escape a huge shell that flew over their 
heads and exploded just beyond. 


COLONEL PA VET RETURNS 63 


But if it had missed them, another had not 
been so fortunate. The shell had struck the hut 
that Fred had been guarding and reduced it to 
atoms. It had missed Fred himself by only a 
matter of feet, and as he had followed the ex- 
ample of his friends and thrown himself to the 
ground he was unharmed. 

As the boys rose to their feet and looked 
around them, they saw what had happened and 
ran to the remains of the hut. They looked in- 
side and then turned away. That one glance had 
been enough to tell them what had become of 
Rabig. He had gone to his last account, and 
there was no further need of any earthly court 
to judge his deeds and fix his punishment. 

‘‘And it was the very people to whom he sold 
out that killed him,'^ mused Frank, as the re- 
mains of the dead traitor were gathered up to be 
taken away for burial. 

There was no sense of exultation in their 
hearts, only a feeling that in a singular way jus- 
tice had been done to a man who had committed 
the unpardonable crime of betraying his country. 

They had been to mess that evening, and were 
talking over the events of the day, when an or- 
derly came to say that Frank was wanted at 
headquarters. 

Wondering somewhat what the summons 
might mean, and pursued by the chaff of his 


64 COLONEL PA VET RETURNS 


friends, who predicted all sorts of dire things in 
store for him, Frank obeyed the summons, and 
was surprised and pleased to find Colonel Pavet 
waiting to see him. The pleasure was felt also 
by the colonel, as was shown by the warmth of 
his greeting. 

Each owed a great deal to the other. Frank, 
as my old readers will remember, had saved the 
colonel's life when the latter was lying wounded 
on the battlefield and had carried him off to 
safety amid a storm of bullets. The colonel, on 
the other hand, had been kindness itself in look- 
ing after the interest of Frank's mother in prop- 
erty that had been left to her in France. 

“Ah, Monsieur Sheldon, how glad I am to see 
you again," said Colonel Pavet. 

“No more than I am to see you, sir," returned 
Frank, shaking the hand which the colonel in 
sheer disregard of the difference in rank had ex- 
tended to him. “I hope that you are well." 

“Perfectly well, I thank you," replied the 
colonel, “and happy beyond expression at the 
way things are going. It will not be long now 
before the arrogant Huns will be driven from 
France. Oh, what we Frenchmen owe to you 
brave Americans! You are like the Crusaders 
of old. You came to our aid when our backs 
were against the wall and you gave us fresh cour- 
age, new life." 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 65 


‘‘Just as your people did for America more 
than a hundred years ago,” replied Frank. “You 
don’t owe us anything, Colonel. WeVe simply 
been paying a debt.” 

“But paying it with interest a hundred fold,” 
protested the colonel warmly. “But tell me how 
things are going with you, mon cher amiP 

“Oh, the same as usual,” returned Frank. 
“The Hun bullets haven’t got me yet.” 

“But that isn’t because you haven’t been where 
the Hun bullets were,” smiled the colonel. “I’ve 
been hearing of what you did on that scouting 
expedition last night. It’s a marvel that you 
came through it alive. But fortune favors the 
brave.” 

“Oh, that was nothing,” said Frank, who al- 
ways felt uncomfortable when anyone referred 
to his exploits. 

“Your officers think differently,” laughed the 
colonel. “But now to other matters. In the 
first place, I want to tell you how sorry I was 
that I was away when that unfortunate accusa- 
tion was laid against you. A word from me 
would have shown its falsity at once.” 

“I know it would,” answered Frank, “but 
luckily things took such a turn that I was soon 
cleared of that charge.” 

“The next thing is,” went on the colonel in a 
tone of regret, “that some complications have de- 


66 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


veloped in the matter of your mother's property." 

Frank felt his heart sink. It was only a little 
while since he had written her, telling her that 
everything was practically settled in her favor, 
and that all she would have to do after the war 
ended would be to take possession. 

“I'm sorry to hear that,” he replied. “I thought 
that the dying confession of that rascally butler 
had established her claim beyond a doubt.” 

“It did as far as the attempt to defraud her 
was concerned,” answered the colonel. “This is 
a technical matter bearing on the title to a part 
of the estate. It seems that some legal formali- 
ties were overlooked at the time of its acquisi- 
tion. My brother Andre explained it to me in his 
last letter. But I am only a plain soldier and I 
could not quite grasp the details. Now, don't let it 
worry you, for Andre thinks that the matter can 
be attended to and the title made perfect. Only 
it will take some time and I thought I ought to 
notify you just how matters stood.” 

“It's very good of you,” replied Frank, re- 
lieved to learn that the fears he had formed when 
the colonel first began to speak of the matter 
might be groundless. “Of course I'm sorry that 
there’s any hitch at all, but if it can be remedied 
it doesn't matter so much.” 

“Right,” agreed Colonel Pavet, “and if I 
might be permitted to suggest, I would say 


COLONEL PA VET RETURNS 67 


nothing to your mother about it at present If 
it were anything really serious, of course she 
ought to know. But under the circumstances it 
would only cost her needless worry. Now I 
must be going. Of course you know or have 
guessed that there will be a great battle tomor- 
row.” 

“I have heard that we attack at dawn,” replied 
Frank. 

*‘Yes,” confirmed the colonel. ‘‘To you Ameri- 
cans has been assigned the task of clearing out 
the Argonne Forest. It is one of the most tre- 
mendous tasks of the war but I know you will 
be equal to it. My own regiment is with Gou- 
raud’s forces on your left. We will probably 
effect a juncture with your forces after you have 
taken the forest, and the two armies will have a 
friendly race to see which gets to Sedan first. 
The luck of battle may bring us together again 
before long.” 

“I hope so,” smiled Frank, “and when we do 
meet I hope that we can congratulate each other 
on the complete defeat of the Huns.” 

“We will,” replied the colonel with conviction. 
“Their lines are bending now and are ready to 
break. One more great effort and the work is 
done. The Allied armies will spend Christmas 
on the Rhine.” 

“I hope you are as good a prophet as you are 


68 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


a fighter,” laughed Frank. ‘'But I believe in my 
soul you’re right” 

“I’m sure of it,” replied the colonel. “And 
now I must go. Remember me to your mother 
when you write.” 

They shook hands and separated, the colonel 
mounting his horse which stood at the door, and 
Frank with a final wave of the hand returning to 
his comrades. 

His sleep that night was as sound as though 
the next day were to be a holiday, instead of 
marking the beginning of one of the most des- 
perate battles of the war. 

The reveille sounded while it was yet dark on 
the following morning, and before the first faint 
streak of dawn appeared in the eastern sky the 
old Thirty-seventh was in line waiting for the 
word to advance. 

Before them in the semi-darkness loomed up 
the gigantic shapes of the tanks that were to lead 
the way and smash the barriers that the foe had 
erected during the four years that they had held 
the forest. 

Thousands of men who were too old for mili- 
tary service had been employed there in building 
concrete fortifications, bombproof shelters and 
underground passages leading from one trench 
to another until the whole forest was a perfect 
labyrinth from which the Germans would have 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 69 


to be driven foot by foot and trench by trench. 
There were boxes” by the hundred set up 
in concealed locations that commanded the entire 
territory. Snipers were in the lofty trees and 
machine gun nests existed by thousands. There 
w^ere deep pits into which the unwary might fall. 
Barbed wire entanglements added to the natural 
difficulties of the position. Deep gulches and ra- 
vines made it impossible for the troops to ad- 
vance in any kind of regular formations, and in 
places there was only room for them to go in 
single file over ground swept by enemy bullets. 
Their heaviest batteries had been brought from 
other portions of the line and concentrated there. 

It was the Germans' last stand. If they failed 
to hold the Americans, their cause was lost. Back 
of the forest was the railway line that ran from 
Longuyon to Mezieres and Sedan. It was their 
chief artery of supplies for all their armies in 
France and Belgium. If the Americans once got 
astride of that railway, the Germans would be 
bottled up with no way of escape except through 
the gateway of Liege. 

Orders had gone out from the German High 
Command that the forest must be held at any 
cost, and their crack divisions of the Jagers and 
the Prussian Guards had been brought up with 
orders to die at their posts rather than retreat or 
surrender. They had all the advantage of posi- 


19 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


tion. They boasted that the forest could never 
be taken. Even the Americans whom the Huns 
had first learned to respect and afterward to fear, 
could not, it was said, do what was beyond the 
power of mortal men. It was simply impossible. 
Had not the great Napoleon himself declined to 
attack the enemy who held the forest in his day, 
saying that it was impregnable? 

But the American troops had learned to laugh 
at the word ‘"impossible.” They wouldn’t admit 
that it was in their dictionary. They had been 
told that their green troops could not hold the 
Germans at the Marne, but they had held them. 
They had been told that it was impossible to 
break the Hindenburg line, but they had smashed 
it to bits. They had been told that the St. Mihiel 
salient could not I ^ pinched out, but they did in 
two days what others had failed to do in four 
years. Now, when they heard that it was im- 
possible to clear the Argonne Forest, they sim- 
ply grinned. It was only a German joke. 

“Wonder when the music will begin,” said 
Frank, as he crouched beside Tom and Billy, 
waiting for the thunder of the great guns to sig- 
nal the beginning of the attack. 

“It won’t be long now,” replied Tom, as he 
cast his eyes up to the sky where a faint light was 
beginning to diffuse itself. 

“I wonder if Stone is with this bunch of tanks 
in front of us,” remarked Billy. 


COLONEL PAVET RETURNS 


71 


‘‘I'd know his tank if I saw it, but it's a little 
too dark yet to make it out," said Frank, as his 
eye ran along the silent row of monsters that 
stretched up and down the line. “But one thing's 
certain, if he isn't in the front row at the start, 
it won't be long before he gets there." 

Men passed along the line with steaming buck- 
ets of coffee, for the morning was chilly, and the 
boys swallowed their portions with gusto and 
passed the tins back for more. 

“Gee, but that tastes good," said Tom, smack- 
ing his lips. “It warms me to the toes." 

“You'll get exercise enough to keep you warm 
before many minutes are past," prophesied Billy. 

“It can't come too soon," put in Frank, as his 
fingers tightened over the stock of his rifle. 

Just then the word came down the line: 

“Fix bayonets!" 


CHAPTER VII 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 

There was a series of clicks as the bayonets 
slipped in their sockets. 

‘Tn less than five minutes now!'’ muttered 
Tom. 

Suddenly the great American guns opened up 
with a roar that sounded as though the earth had 
split asunder. There was a deeper bass note than 
usual* that the Army Boys’ trained ears detected 
in an instant. 

“Those must be the naval guns weVe been 
hearing so much about,” said Frank to Billy. 

“That's what,” replied Billy, “and they're 
some guns, too. I hear that they throw nearly a 
ton of metal a distance of sixteen ihiles. They're 
the biggest guns that have ever been used in bat- 
tle, and they spell hard luck for the Heinies.” 

“I wonder how we're going to get across this 
canal,” pondered Tom, as they waited for the 
word to charge. 

“Our engineers will have seen to that,” said 
Frank confidently. “Trust those boys to be on 


72 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


73 


the job. Maybe it will be rafts, maybe pontoons. 
You remember how we got across the Meuse the 
other time. At the worst we can swim it*’ 

But as it grew lighter with each succeeding 
minute, they saw that they would not have to 
swim. During the night, the engineers had as- 
sembled a string of barges which they had laid 
beside each other and covered with planking. 
The work had been done under fire and the losses 
had been heavy, but the engineers were of the 
same plucky type as those who had dropped their 
picks and shovels and gone into the fight at Cam- 
brai, and those others who had helped Carey to 
stop the gap on the road to Amiens. They had 
stuck to their job until their work was done, and 
several such bridges were now ready for use at 
different points along the American line. 

‘‘Stand ready,” came the command that 
thrilled the Army Boys from head to foot. 

“Charge!” 

With a rousing cheer the line swept forward, 
and the greatest battle of the war was on. 

The American guns laid down a barrage, a 
veritable curtain of fire that went before their 
men and kept lifting as the line advanced so as 
not to kill their own men. The Americans were 
so eager to get forward that this was an ever 
present danger, and many lives had been lost in 
the earlier battles of the war from this cause. 


74 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


But now the men were veterans, and while they 
were just as full of ardor and eagerness as ever, 
they had learned not to throw their lives away 
by being over rash. 

A hail of fire came from the German guns as 
the first detachments reached the bridges and be- 
gan to cross. Great lanes were torn in the Ameri- 
can ranks, but they closed up at once like the 
water in the wake of a ship. 

The tanks went first, and though the floating 
bridges swayed beneath their weight they were 
soon safely on the other side of the canal. After 
they had reached the bank, they halted for the 
infantry to come up and form rank in the shelter 
of their armored sides. The bullets rattled 
against them until the din was like that of a 
boiler factory. Two of them were struck by 
monster shells that put them out of action, but 
the majority of them came through the storm of 
fire without material damage. 

In the meantime, the first detachments of in- 
fantry had crossed the bridges, although their 
losses were heavy and the planks of the bridge 
were red. Some had been swept into the canal 
and the water was dotted with bodies, some mo- 
tionless, while others, who were only wounded, 
sought to swim to the nearer shore or were res- 
cued by American boats that put out into the 
stream. 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


75 


The old Thirty-seventh had been given the 
post of honor in their section of the line ana the 
Army Boys were in the first rank. A bullet 
clipped off a lock of Billy’s hair just above the 
ear, and one had pierced the sleeve of Frank’s 
arm, blistering the skin as it went along as 
though it had been seared by a hot iron. But the 
lads were so full of the spirit of the fight that 
they scarcely noticed these trifles when they 
brought up breathless on the further side. 

‘‘So far so good,” gasped Frank, as he and his 
comrades halted to draw breath in the shelter of 
a great tank. 

“Talk about hundred yard dashes !” exclaimed 
Billy. “I’ll bet we came near beating the record 
for crossing bridges.” 

“I don’t know,” grinned Tom, as he took off 
his helmet to wipe his forehead. “I think we beat 
it that time when we scurried over the broken 
bridge like jack rabbits with the Uhlan cavalry 
only a dozen jumps in the rear. But we’re lucky 
this time as we were then, and we’ve come 
through with scarcely a scratch.” 

“Knock wood,” warned Billy. “This is only 
the curtain raiser. The real play is yet to come.’' 

In less than an hour, sufficient forces had 
crossed the bridges to justify the officers in or- 
dering an advance against the first line of the 
enemy trenches that had been established just 


76 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


within the edge of the forest. The trenches were 
heavily manned and bristled with field and ma- 
chine guns, while back of them in the grim and 
forbidding forest stretched other lines of defense 
that the boys knew would cost thousands of 
American lives to take. But the job was there 
and had to be done. And they vowed in their 
hearts that it should be done. 

The huge tanks lined up for the attack and 
got once more in action. Into the woods they 
went, crushing down trees as though they were 
pipe stems, lurching into and out of shell craters, 
tearing into the barbed wire entanglements, 
plucking up the posts to which they were fast- 
ened and opening huge gaps into which came 
pouring the long lines of shouting, cheering men. 
Like an avalanche they struck the trenches, and 
the Germans poured out to meet them. 

The opposing lines swayed back and forth like 
gladiators in a death grip. Then they broke up 
into hundreds of battling groups, a dozen men 
here, twenty there, struggling with bayonets and 
rifle butts, hacking, stabbing and at times throw- 
ing their empty guns aside and fighting with 
knives and even with fists. It was the kind of 
close-in fighting in which the Americans excelled 
and which they always sought when the plan of 
battle made it possible. 

Frank, Tom and Billy fought as closely in 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


77 


company as they could, and many a blow had 
been warded off by one of the three from the 
others that would otherwise have found its mark. 

For a long time the battle seemed to be fairly 
even, for the Germans fought with the fury of 
desp^ ratu/n and were constantly reinforced from 
heav^ divisions kept in reserve. Each side at- 
tached especial importance to this first stage of 
the fight, because of the influence it might have 
on the morale of their men. The side that lost 
in the first phase of the battle would be depressed, 
while the side that won would be correspondingly 
elated and strengthened in spirit for the strug- 
gles that were yet to come. 

But American blood and American fighting 
qualities were not to be denied. Gradually the 
Germans were pressed back, but as they re- 
treated they kept up a stubborn resistance by 
means of machine gun nests posted in every con- 
ceivable place, at every turn in the forest paths, 
in clumps of bushes, in forks of trees. They 
made the Americans pay dearly for every foot 
of ground that they gained. 

But the Americans had learned by long expe- 
rience not to advance in mass formation against 
these messengers of death. They spread out in 
units and in groups, worming their way through 
the bushes, seeking the shelter of every rock and 
tree and shell hole. 


78 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


In following up this method of fighting, the 
three Army Boys were separated. Frank found 
himself in a shell hole alone. He peered over 
the edge and could see nothing of Tom and Billy. 
He crouched low in the hole, reloading his rifle. 
Then he took stock of his position. 

About three hundred feet ahead of him was a 
machine gun nest that was spitting bullets in a 
steady stream. It was sheltered by a barricade 
of logs about four feet high. Behind this the 
German machine gunners were snugly ensconced 
and seemed to defy capture. They kept slewing 
their gun from side to side of the barricade so 
that it commanded the whole front of the posi- 
tion, and their bullets went hissing over the open 
space like so many snakes and quite as deadly. 

Frank pondered as to what he should do and 
a wild thought came into his mind. At least it 
would have seemed wild at the beginning of his 
experience in the war. But he had taken so many 
risks and gotten away with them that he had 
grown inclined to trust his luck. 

He was going to put that particular machine 
gun out of business. But how could he do it 
single-handed.^ 

They could fire a hundred bullets to his one. 

His keen eye studied the ground in front of 
him. 

There were perhaps half a dozen shell holes 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


79 


between him and the barricade. But they were 
too far apart for him to slip from one to another 
without being seen. And to be seen in that bullet 
swept place meant certain death. 

But he also noted another thing. A heavy 
German field gun from a distance of miles be- 
hind the lines was sending huge shells that were 
falling with tolerable regularity in the space be- 
tween him and the barricade. Every minute or 
two, a shell would explode with a tremendous 
roar, sending a volume of black smoke and tons 
of dirt into the air. 

Here was the solution of Frank’s problem. 

He measured the distance between him and the 
next shell hole, and poised himself for a spring 
when the next shell should fall. 

It came, and on the instant Frank was out of 
his hole and rushing toward the next behind the 
screen of smoke and dirt. He dropped into it 
and waited for the next shell. Several times this 
was repeated, until at last Frank found himself 
in the last shell hole less than fifty feet away 
from the barricade. This was his limit of pos- 
sible shelter. The rest of the way he must be in 
the open. 

He crouched low in the hole, waiting for a 
favorable moment. Just at that time bullets were 
whistling directly above his head. But he had 
noted that the gunners were sweeping their gun 


8o 


AT GRIPS WITH DEATH 


about in a semicircle, so as to command all por- 
tions of the open space, and he knew that in a 
moment or two the line of fire would be on one 
side or the other of the direct line that lay be- 
tween him and the barricade. 

How many men there might be in the machine 
gun crew he did not know. There would surely 
be two, perhaps half a dozen. He did not greatly 
care. In that moment of intense exaltation he 
would have fought a regiment. 

The bullets ceased to sing above his head. He 
peered cautiously above the edge of the hole. 
The wicked looking muzzle of the machine gun 
was pointing considerably to his left. 

He leaped from the hole and raced for the 
barricade. 

There was a startled shout and a frantic effort 
to slew the gun around. The next instant Frank 
sprang high in the air, struck the topmost log 
of the barricade with both feet and sent it tum- 
bling down upon the machine gun crew while he 
went down with it. 


CHAPTER VIII 


PUTTING IT OVER 

There was a wild scrambling and confusion 
in the machine gun nest, as the log came down, 
followed by Frank. 

The latter lost his balance and went down on 
all fours, but was on his feet again in a second. 

The log had struck one of the crew in falling 
and knocked him unconscious. But his com- 
panion in serving the gun had risen to his feet 
at the same moment with Frank and had drawn 
his revolver to fire. Frank had no time to raise 
his rifle, but quick as lightning he swung it from 
the level of his waist against the upraised arm 
of his opponent. There was a sharp crack that 
told that the bone was broken, and the man sank 
to the ground with a groan. 

Frank heard a shout just behind him and 
wheeled about. A helmeted head was emerging 
from a trench that had been dug in the rear of 
the machine gun, and in this a squad of Germans 
had been stationed to support the crew. 

Frank’s rifle spoke, and the German sank back 

8i 


82 


PUTTING IT OVER 


with a bullet through his shoulder. Two jumps 
carried PVank to the head of the trench, where 
he saw seven Huns, who had evidently been rat- 
tled by the fall of their leader and were hesitat- 
ing, not knowing how many enemies might be 
waiting for them on the ground above. 

Frank covered them with his rifle, whose muz- 
zle darted from one to the other in the line. 

‘'Hands up!” he commanded. 

The words were American, but the Germans 
understood what it meant. If they had any 
doubt, the rifle would have enlightened them. 

Their guns dropped from their hands and they 
raised the latter above their heads. 

**Kamerad!” they shouted in chorus. 

Still keeping them covered, Frank motioned 
them to come out one at a time. They did so 
and formed in line, their hands still upraised. 
The look of amazement on their faces, when they 
looked around for Frank^s comrades and failed 
to see them, was comical beyond expression. But 
Frank was too keyed up at that moment to pay 
any attention to the humorous side of it. 

He shot a glance at the machine gun. It had 
been knocked down by the falling log and the 
machinery by which it was fed with cartridges 
was unusable. 

“March!” Frank commanded, taking his sta- 
tion in the rear of the line of prisoners. 


PUTTING IT OVER 


83 


They obeyed sheepishly enough, and one or 
two of them in the rear of the line were inclined 
to be sullen, but a sharp jab of Frank’s bayonet 
decided them, and they went off at a jog trot to- 
ward the American lines. 

They had covered perhaps two-thirds of the 
way, when Frank met a squad of his own regi- 
ment who were advancing after clearing out a 
ravine. They raised a shout as they saw Frank 
coming along herding his flock, and in a moment 
he was surrounded and overwhelmed with eager 
questions. 

‘‘Where are the rest of the fellows that helped 
you take this bunch?” asked Corporal Wilson, 
who was in command of the squad. 

“There weren’t any others,” answered Frank. 
“I just happened to get the draw on this crowd 
and gathered them in.” 

“ ‘Happened’ is good,” said Wilson dryly. 
“There’s more to it than that. You’ll have to 
tell us about it later. In the meantime, I’ll have 
these fellows sent to the rear.” 

The prisoners were sent back, and Frank went 
forward with his comrades for further fighting. 
Under other circumstances, he would have liked 
to rest for a while, for he had been under a ter- 
rific strain and now he was feeling the reaction. 
But there was stern work yet to be done, and 
the resting time could come later. 


84 


PUTTING IT OVER 


Tom and Billy had worked their way in his 
direction and now rejoined him. They moved 
forward and soon reached the scene of Frank’s 
exploit. The German who had been knocked 
unconscious had evidently come to his senses and 
had disappeared, but the two men whom Frank 
had wounded were* still there. A stretcher party 
working in that part of the field was signaled, 
and the men were taken away to the hospital. 

‘‘Some classy work !” exclaimed Billy, when at 
his eager urging Frank had told to him and Tom 
the incidents of the fight. “If you don’t get the 
Distinguished Service Cross for this, there’s no 
gratitude in the United States army.” 

“Billy’s right,” declared Tom, as he clapped 
Frank on the shoulder. “There isn’t one man in 
a thousand who would have thought of it or 
done it if he had thought of it. Frank, old man, 
you’re a wonder.” 

“Oh, forget it,” said Frank. “I had a chance 
and took it. That’s all.” 

“That’s all,” mimicked Tom. “You had a 
chance and took it. We’ll let it go at that.” 

All that morning the fighting continued, and 
the German^ were steadily driven back. By noon 
the edge of the forest had been cleared, and the 
Americans began to consolidate their lines in 
preparation for the next advance. 

“Well, we’ve won the first round anyway,” 


PUTTING IT OVER 


85 


remarked Billy jubilantly, as the Army Boys 
gathered in a trench that had been hastily con- 
structed and sat down to eat. 

‘^Yes,” admitted Tom, “but there may be a 
good many rounds to this fight. Heinie's got 
lots of fight in him yet and don't you forget it 
He knows he's in the last ditch and that if he 
doesn't stand here, it's all up with him." 

“Quit your croaking," admonished Billy. 
“We've got the Indian sign on him and he knows 
it. This last ditch business doesn't go with the 
Huns. They're all right when they're winning, 
but they can't stand losing. They don't want 
their cities devastated in the same way that 
they've ruined the cities of France and Belgium. 
When the time comes they'll cave in. You just 
wait and see what kind of a prophet little Billy 
is." 

“I think you're both right,” said Frank. “I 
agree with Tom that we're due for one big fight 
before Heinie will admit defeat. But I also 
think with Billy that when that defeat comes 
they'll curl up and quit so quickly it will make 
your head swim. But what's the use of our chin- 
ning about it and letting our chow get cold ? All 
we've got to do is to fight. We'll leave it to 
Pershing and Foch and the other men at the 
head of things to settle things with the Germans 
after we've licked them to a frazzle." 


86 


PUTTING IT OVER 


They attacked their meal with an appetite 
sharpened by the strenuous work of the morning, 
and then at the call of the bugle they again took 
their place in the line to finish the work they 
had so well begun. 

From that time on, the work was more like 
guerrilla fighting than any battle in which they 
had engaged so far. The woods were so thick 
and the obstructions so many that it was impos- 
sible to advance in anything like regular forma- 
tion. Instead of tens of thousands of men being 
hurled against other ten thousands in a mass at- 
tack, both armies were broken up into countless 
groups of ten, twenty and a hundred men, each 
following a general plan of advance but depend- 
ing upon circumstances and natural conditions as 
to the way they carried out that plan. 

The Germans had the advantage of a greater 
familiarity with the ground, which they had held 
for years, and also in their tremendously strong 
system of defenses. But the Americans had 
against these the consciousness that they had 
beaten this enemy in every fight where they had 
met them, and the feeling that they could always 
beat them. Then, too, the Americans were more 
accustomed to act on their own responsibility. 
If their officers were killed or wounded, they fig- 
ured out for themselves what was the best thing 
to do and went ahead and did it. In a certain 


PUTTING IT OVER 


87 


sense, every private was a general when he had to 
be. The Germans, on the other hand, were ex- 
cellent fighters in the mass. But they needed to 
have their shoulders touching those of their com- 
rades, and they had been taught to rely so utterly 
upon the directions of their officers that they feljt 
lost and bewildered when they had to make de- 
cisions for themselves. Of course there were 
exceptions, but this fairly expressed the differ- 
ence between the two armies. 

Not only that day but for many days there- 
after the fighting kept on. The Americans had 
given themselves two weeks to clear the forest. 
Day by day the lines advanced, sometimes slowly, 
again more quickly, but they always advanced, 
and every nightfall found them nearer their goal 
than they had been the day before. 

The Army Boys were in their element. Here 
at last was enough fighting to suit even their hot 
blood. The only thing lacking to their satisfac- 
tion was the absence of Bart. 

They had not yet even been able to hear from 
him, as they were kept so busy and the lines 
shifted so constantly that all communication be- 
tween them and the hospital was cut off. 

‘Tt’s hard luck for the old scout,'’ remarked 
Tom one night after the regiment had cleared out 
an intricate system of dugouts and was resting 
after the day's work. 


88 


PUTTING IT OVER 


be sore as the mischief if this war ends 
without his getting another crack at the Huns/’ 
said Billy. 

*TIe needn’t worry,” put in Frank, ‘'he’s done 
his full share if he never fires another shot. All 
I want is to see him on his feet again, sound and 
well, whether the war ends before that time or 
not. In the meantime we three must try to do 
the work of four.” 

“Yes,” agreed Tom, “every fourth shot we 
fire, we’ll say to ourselves: ‘There goes one for 
Bart!’ ” 


CHAPTER IX 


THE SHINING PLANE 

After one day of particularly grim and stub- 
born fighting, the Army Boys foimd themselves 
quartered in an unusually large clearing in the 
dense woods and underbrush that went to com- 
pose the Argonne Forest. Since early morning 
they had been engaged in clearing out trench 
after trench of Boches, menaced on every side by 
skillfully concealed machine gun nests, but mak- 
ing steady progress, in the face of almost in- 
superable obstacles. A number of their com- 
rades had fallen, but not one of our heroes had 
suffered anything worse than the deep scratches 
resulting from forcing their way through innu- 
merable barbed wire entanglements. They 
seemed to bear charmed lives, for always there 
had been the whine of machine gun bullets, and 
the scream of shrapnel thrown from the heavier 
guns situated in the rear of the German lines. 

Now, thoroughly exhausted, they had willingly 
obeyed the order that meant the end of that day's 
fighting, and had cast, first their packs, and then 
89 


90 


THE SHINING PLANE 


themselves, down upon the camping ground that 
had been designated as theirs for the night. 

By the time ‘‘chow^' had been eaten, they began 
to feel a little better, but had nothing in mind ex- 
cept to turn in, when suddenly their attention 
was arrested by the whirring hum of an aero- 
plane engine coming rapidly to a position directly 
over them. The first thought of every soldier is, 
‘Ts it an enemy machine 1” but one glance served 
to assure them that it was an American plane. 

They naturally expected that the machine 
would continue on its course, but suddenly Frank 
exclaimed, ''Look at that, fellows! It’s circling 
around as though the pilot intended to land. 
What in the world would he want to come down 
here for?” 

"Possibly he’s been having engine trouble,” 
speculated Tom. And he was not far wrong, for 
this was indeed the reason for the aviator’s sud- 
den descent. Spying the opening in the trees, he 
had decided to make a landing there, rather than 
proceed further and take the chance of being 
forced to descend in even a more unfavorable 
location. 

The boys watched with interest as the machine 
descended lower and lower in graceful spirals, 
and finally took the ground as the aviator landed 
skillfully on a smooth patch of turf. 

"By Jove!” exclaimed Frank, as the friends 


THE SHINING PLANE 


91 


started to run toward it, ‘^there’s something about 
that aviator that looks mighty familiar to me. I 
knew it!’* a moment later, *'it’s good old Dick 
Lever, and he’s sure a sight for sore eyes. How 
in the name of all that’s good did he ever happen 
to get in this part of the world, I wonder.” 

This question was soon answered, for by now 
the boys had reached the machine, and amid joy- 
ful shouts Dick Lever was dragged from the 
pilot’s seat and laughingly told to “give an ac- 
count of himself.” 

“Well, that’s not very hard to do,” he said, 
“provided, of course, that you Indians don’t pull 
me limb from limb before I get the chance to. 
It’s fine to be so welcome, but I’m beginning to be 
afraid I’ll never be able to live through it. Have 
a heart, can’t you?” 

“All right, then, come across with the informa- 
tion,” laughed Frank. “We’re so used to ques- 
tioning Hun prisoners, that we’ve got the habit, 
and find it hard to be easy with you, I suppose.” 

“Well, there’s not much to tell,” said the avia- 
tor. “I was just recently detailed to this sec- 
tor, and since arriving here I have been having 
a busy time of it, I can tell you. The Boches on 
this sector are right on the job, and don’t seem to 
scare nearly so easily as they generally do. I 
had a brush with one several hours ago, and 
chased him well back of the German lines. He 


92 


THE SHINING PLANE 


landed safely, though, so I turned around to get 
back, when my engine started missing. It wasn't 
so very bad, but I thought it would be better to 
land and tinker it up before it got worse, so when 
I saw this opening through the tops of the trees, 
I decided to come down and see if I couldn't 
make temporary repairs. But if I had known 
you fellows were down here waiting for me, I 
think I'd have com.e down even faster than I did.” 

*‘Well,” said Frank, ‘‘let's take a look at your 
engine, and see if we can't locate the trouble. 
But I won't really be sorry if we don't, because 
then you'll have to stay here all night.'' 

“Yes, that's true enough,'' replied Dick. “But 
just at present I don't want to be put out of busi- 
ness over night if I can help it. Every aviator on 
this sector is on the lookout for a certain Boche 
plane that has been making a pest of itself around 
here, and the one that succeeds in bringing him 
down is going to be considered a real ace.'' 

“Why, has he been doing such a lot of dam- 
age?'' asked Billy. 

“Damage!" exclaimed Dick, “I should say he 
has been doing damage. And not only that, but 
he does it in such a way that none of us so far 
has had any chance for a comeback.'' 

“How's that?" inquired Tom. 

“His favorite stunt is to come over our lines 
along about dusk, and drop his load of bombs 


THE SHINING PLANE 


93 


where he thinks they will do the most good. Then 
he makes a quick turn about and escapes, either 
going directly back to his lines, or, more often, 
rising high enough to reach a cloud stratum, and 
hiding in that. And by the time our fellows get 
out after him, it's so dark that there's no chance 
of seeing him. He's responsible for the death of 
any number of our fellows, and nobody knows 
how much damage to roads and ammunition 
trains.'’ 

''That's the Boche's regular game," com- 
mented Frank, bitterly, "their 'planes always run 
the minute they think a superior force is coming 
out against them. It would be wonderful if you 
could be the one to capture him, Dick." 

"Wonderful! I should say it would," ex- 
claimed the young aviator. "But that tricky 
way he has of cloud hiding, together with his 
habit of only attacking right on the edge of dark- 
ness, makes it a mighty hard proposition to come 
up with him. But I or one of the other fellows 
will get him eventually, never fear." 

"If only there were some way to tag him so 
that he could be followed easier," said Frank, 
slowly. 

"Yes, but that's a pretty big if," said Billy, 
"supposing you come down to earth and give us 
some practical suggestion about how it's going 
to be done." 


94 


THE SHINING PLANE 


‘Well, maybe I will,'’ replied Frank, to whom 
had come the glimmering of an idea, “you fellows 
know that illuminating paint they use for signs, 
and so forth, so that they can be read in the dark, 
don't you ?” 

“Right you are !" exclaimed Dick, who grasped 
the other's thought in the twinkling of an eye, 
“if we could douse this Boche's plane with some 
of that mixture, a blind man could follow his 
progress after dark. But then," he concluded, 
less enthusiastically, “the problem arises as to 
how we arc going to get the paint on his machine. 
It reminds me of trying lo catch a bird by putting 
salt on his tail." 

“Well, it might be worth trying, anyway,” said 
Frank, defending his project. “Why couldn't 
you take a pail of this with you, and then there's 
a bare possibility that you might be able to drop 
some of it on him. One splash of that stuff on 
his machine, and you'd have the easiest job in the 
world following him. The darker the night, the 
better." 

“By Jove, it's worth trying, anyway,” said 
Dick, caught up on a wave of enthusiasm. “I'll try 
anything once, anyway. But now the question 
is, where are we going to get the paint ?" 

“There's a supply wagon not over a mile from 
here,” replied Frank, “if you’re game for the 
hike. I'll go with you, and we'll see if wc can't get 
some." 


THE SHINING PLANE 


95 


‘‘YouVe on!** exclaimed the aviator. ‘Y"©!! 
two fellows stay here to see that no one monkeys 
with my machine,** addressing Billy Waldon and 
Tom Bradford. 

“All right,** agreed Tom. “But you*d better 
shake a foot or some of this bunch will be taking 
your machine apart for souvenirs,** and he laugh- 
ingly indicated the interested group of doughboys 
who had by this time sauntered up. 

Frank and Dick set off at a smart pace, as they 
were all eagerness to try the novel experiment, 
and there was no time to lose, if it were to be done 
that night, as it was then after five o*clock, and 
nearing the time at which the German aviator 
usually made his raids. They maintained a brisk 
pace, and it was not long before they reached a 
group of supply wagons, carrying all sorts of 
supplies and equipment. They had some diffi- 
culty in explaining matters to the officer in 
charge, but at last he was moved by their enthu- 
siasm, and gave them permission to draw a small 
pail full of the illuminating paint. This was a 
special mixture of chemicals, and was extensively 
used by our army for signs, indicating arrows, 
etc., where it was impossible or inconvenient to 
have a special light to show up the object at night. 

The two friends made short work of the return 
trip, and surprised those waiting for them by the 
promptitude of their return. 

“Gosh !** exclaimed Billy, “I can see the finish 


96 


THE SHINING PLANE 


of that Boche already, when two speed merchants 
like you go romping on his trail. He’s got about 
as much chance as a cootie in a disinfecting 
tank.’’ 

‘We haven’t got much time to spare,” said 
Dick; “it’s getting dark already, and I’ve still 
got to clean the spark plugs in my machine.” 

“We’ll all help you do that,” volunteered Tom, 
and with wrenches that Dick gave them, they 
soon had the offending spark plugs apart, thor- 
oughly cleaned, and restored to their proper 
sphere of usefulness. Then, while some of the 
onlooking soldiers held the plane, Dick gave the 
propeller a whirl, and the motor started with a 
reassuring roar. 

“That sounds good,” said Dick, as he climbed 
into the pilot’s seat. “Now, hand me up that 
paint, and I’m off on the trail of the Hun.” 

Billy handed him the pail, and Dick, after care- 
fully depositing it at his feet, waved his hand in 
farewell. The boys had just started a cheer for 
him, when they were interrupted by the sound of 
a heavy detonation. For a brief space the ar- 
tillery of both sides had been silent, and they 
could tell from the sound of the explosion that it 
was not caused by a gun. Even as they all lis- 
tened, it came again, — a dull, heavy shock that 
caused the very earth to shake, and this time it 
seemed nearer. 


THE SHINING PLANE 


97 


‘‘That’s our Boche friend!” exclaimed Dick 
Lever. “Let her go, boys! Maybe this time I’ll 
hav^ the luck to get the brute!” and as the 
soldiers loosed their holds, the aeroplane swept 
forward, and then, at a quick motion on Dick’s 
part, soared gracefully into the air. Dick 
slanted swiftly upward into the gathering twi- 
light, and soon became indistinguishable to the 
straining eyes of those on the ground. Only the 
sound of his whirring motor remained to tell 
them of the gallant man willingly risking his life 
for his country. 

As the sound of his motor grew fainter, the 
throb of another engine insensibly mingled with 
it, but the later comer had the irregular pulsations 
that all the Americans recognized as coming from 
a German machine. 

“I’ll wager anything that’s the Boche!” ex- 
claimed Tom, and everybody there agreed with 
him. It was now almost fully dark, and al- 
though the boys strained their eyes they could 
make out nothing of the duel that was going on a 
mile or two above the earth. 

But suddenly a weird and fascinating thing 
happened. From out the black vault of the night 
sky a rippling, streaming cascade of fire leaped 
downward for a space, and then suddenly mush- 
roomed out in a sparkling splash of phosphores- 
cent light. Smaller stars and streamers spread 


98 


THE SHINING PLANE 


out in all directions and gradually melted out as 
they fell earthward. But there remained a faint, 
ghostlike, unreal patch of swiftly moving light, 
that the breathless watchers knew must be the 
Boche aeroplane. 

*'lt worked!'* exclaimed Frank. "That Hun 
aviator is done for now, because Dick can see 
him, and he can*t see Dick.** 

Even as he spoke, a stream of red fire spit 
viciously out from a point slightly above the Ger- 
man, who had now turned and was flying for dear 
life back to his own lines. For a space the weird 
attack continued, and the German, apparently 
giving up hope of safety in flight, turned and 
fired desperately toward the stream of deadly fire 
that marked the position of Dick*s machine gun. 

But suddenly, one of the deadly bullets from 
the machine gun got home, for the patch of light 
marking the Hun machine, wavered, swerved, 
and then dived swiftly earthward. 


CHAPTER X 


TANK AGAINST TANK 

A GREAT sigh arose from the group of soldiers 
gazing spellbound on this drama of war. The 
German aeroplane fell swiftly until it was per- 
haps halfway to the earth, and then straightened 
out for a second, hesitated, and started turning 
over and over as it neared the uprushing earth. 
The top of its wings seemed fairly covered with 
the greenish luminous paint, that smoked and 
glowed and gave the ill-fated aeroplane the ap- 
pearance of a gigantic pinwheel as it came hurt- 
ling earthward. 

For what seemed a long time to the fascinated 
watchers, but was in reality only a brief space of 
time, the machine continued its downward course, 
and then disappeared as it fell below the fringe of 
tree-tops marking the edge of the clearing. It 
seemed to have landed quite near, but the Ameri- 
cans, experienced in these matters, knew that it 
was probably a matter of two or three miles from 
where they stood. 

'‘Well!” exclaimed Frank at last, drawing a 


99 


100 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


long breath, ‘‘there’s one less murdering Boche 
for Uncle Sam to deal with. May their tribe de- 
crease !” 

“Amen,” said Tom. “I wonder if Dick has 
come off safely?” 

The others also felt anxiety on this point, but 
it was soon dispelled, for they heard the sound of 
his motor as he descended rapidly. Of course, it 
was impossible for him to land now, on account 
of the darkness, but as he swooped low over the 
treetops he fired a few rounds of ammunition 
from his machine gun, by way of greeting, and 
the boys raised a lusty cheer, which, however, it 
is very doubtful if he heard, owing to the noise 
of his motor. Then he straightened out in a 
line for the aeroplane base in back of the Ameri- 
can lines, and gradually the hum of his motor 
faded out in the distance. 

“Maybe we’ll come across the remains of that 
German machine when we advance to-morrow,” 
speculated Billy. “But whether we do or not, 
that ought to be a tip for our airmen. That was 
one idea of yours, Frank, that wasn’t quite as bad 
as the majority of your ideas.” 

“Well, if I can have an idea that works out like 
that one once in a while. I’m entitled to have a 
few poor ones,” retorted Frank, and retired with 
the honors of war. 

By this time “taps” was almost due, and the 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


lOI 


boys set about rigging up their '‘pup'* tents, and 
getting ready for the night. In spite of the weari- 
ness caused by the strenuous and exciting day, 
they managed to stay awake long enough to dis- 
cuss the thrilling air battle they had witnessed, 
but then fell asleep until the notes of "reveille" 
recalled them to another day of this stem game 
called war. 

The next morning they were up with the first 
notes of the bugle, and by the time dawn had 
fairly broken were through breakfast and ready 
for what the day might bring forth. Then the 
bugle blew the "assembly" and the soldiers fell 
into orderly ranks, standing at attention while 
muster was read. 

Their commanding officer then gave them a 
short talk in which he praised their progress on 
the preceding day, and expressed his confidence 
that they would do as well or better to-day. Then 
the order was given to advance, and the forma- 
tion moved forward at a walk, keeping as good a 
line as possible over the broken terrain, but inevit- 
ably breaking up into small parties as the diffi- 
culties of the advance became more and more 
pronounced. 

The Germans had apparently retreated to a 
considerable distance, for at first the Americans 
met with no opposition except that offered by the 
tangles of barbed wire and abandoned trenches 


102 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


with which they were continually coming into 
contact. Frank, Billy and Tom kept a lookout 
in every direction for the destroyed German aero- 
plane, but their vigilance was doomed to go unre- 
warded, for they saw not a sign of it. 

By noon time the Americans had begun to 
come in contact with the enemy again, and were 
again engaged in the grim business of clearing 
out stubbornly held trenches and machine gun 
nests. The Germans fought for every foot of 
ground, but were slowly but surely forced back- 
ward, ever giving way to men who were better 
soldiers than they were. Always they had the 
advantage of carefully planned and constructed 
fortifications, and yet always they were beaten 
out of them. By noon the Americans had regis- 
tered a satisfactory advance, and the order was 
given to rest while the wearied soldiers were 
given food and a chance to get a very much 
needed rest. 

Soon after our three friends had eased the 
packs off their aching shoulders and thrown them- 
selves on the ground, they saw a small party of 
five men, three of whom were officers, approach 
their commanding officer, and after the usual sa- 
lutes, enter into conversation with him. Shortly 
afterward, the two non-commissioned men were 
dismissed, and strolled over toward the three 
friends. Seeing them coming, these latter hospi- 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


103 


tably offered tobacco, matches, and chewing 
gum, and shortly learned that the newcomers 
were members of the Tank Corps. One of them 
had seen a good deal of service in this compara- 
tively new branch of the Army, and with a little 
skillful urging was led to talk of some of his 
experiences. 

‘‘Yes,” he said, in answer to a question from 
Tom, “some pretty queer things happen out there 
in no man’s land, and the tanks get their share, I 
can tell you. I’ve had experiences myself.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” said Frank. “But these 
tanks seem to have put a great fear into the 
Boches, at that.” 

“You bet they have!” exclaimed the other, 
“and it’s too bad that we can’t use them very 
much here. But of course, with all these trees 
and the thick underbrush, they’re practically out 
of the question. But that’s what we’re here for 
now — ^looking over the ground, to see if in some 
places they can’t be used to some extent.” 

“I’ve often wondered,” said Billy, “why the 
Huns haven’t used tanks more. They don’t seem 
to have anything like the success with them that 
our men have I ad.” 

“Well, for one thing, they’re not as well made, 
and when it comes to tank against tank, we almost 
always out-manoeuvre them,” said Amey, for 
such was the tank man’s name. 


104 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


‘I’ve often wondered what would happen if 
two tanks had a pitched battle,” said Frank, “I 
suppose that^happens sometimes, doesn’t it?” 

“Often enough,” said Arney. “I was in one 
once that stacked up against a Boche tank, so I 
am in a position to know, if anyone is.” 

“How was that ?” queried Tom. 

“Well, the way it happened was this,” replied 
the other, “our side had planned an attack one 
morning at dawn, but as it happened, the German 
had also planned one against us at the same time. 
Of course, neither side knew what the other 
was up to, so it came as a pretty big surprise when 
the Boches opened their bombardment just a few 
minutes before ours was due to commence. 

“This didn’t stop us, though, and our batteries 
opened up full split in reply. My tank was due 
to start out at six o’clock, and promptly on sched- 
ule we got away. It was still pitch dark, though, 
and raining as usual, and as neither side was 
sending up star shells for fear of exposing their 
own operations, we had very little to guide us. 
We lost our way a couple of times, at the same 
time falling behind our schedule, and when we 
finally did get on the right track, we trundled 
along at top speed. Top speed doesn’t mean 
very much to a tank, to look at it from the out- 
side, but when you’re on the inside, with the en- 
gine going full split, and rocking along over 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


105 


ground that’s been ploughed up about a million 
times by big shells, you certainly do know you’re 
moving. 

“Well, we had travelled maybe half a mile, 
when suddenly we stopped dead, with a slam that 
nearly took my teeth out. At first I thought we 
must have hit a big tree, but then I remembered 
that all the trees around that section had been 
blasted into kindling wood a good many months 
ago, and as about everything else had shared the 
same fate, I didn’t know what had happened to 
us. But in a few seconds we had our searchlight 
going, and then I found out what was the matter 
pretty quick. There in front of us, butted square 
into us, was a big Boche tank.” 

Here the narrator paused to roll a cigarette, 
while the boys waited impatiently for him to go 
on. After deliberately making and lighting his 
cigarette, he took a few deep puffs, and resumed 
his narrative. 

“Well, boys, I figured we were up against it for 
fair in more ways than one. The driver put her 
into low gear, and threw in the clutch again and 
again, but it was no use. I suppose the other 
fellow was doing the same thing, and neither of 
us could budge an inch. Then, first thing we 
knew, a big explosive bullet came crashing 
through our armor, and stretched the driver over 
his seat, done for for good. I depressed my gun 


io6 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


as far as it would go, and tried to get back at the 
Boche, but he could get his gun lower than I could 
get mine, and my bullets just bounced off his 
armor, because they hit it at such a big angle. 

“I went down and told our lieutenant how 
things stood, and he took the place of the dead 
driver, and threw her into reverse, but the Boche 
realized his advantage, and followed us up so 
close that I never got a chance to get a direct hit 
on him. It looked pretty bad for us, and I 
thought it was about time to say ‘Good-bye, sweet 
world, good-bye.’ But the Lieutenant kept his 
wits about him, and suddenly had an idea. 

“As we backed down into a big shell crater, he 
waited until the nose of the Boche tank came roll- 
ing over the edge, and then suddenly shot our ma- 
chine forward, so that it slid in under the Ger- 
man. That gave me my chance, and maybe you 
think I didn’t take advantage of it. I began 
pumping steel jacketed bullets in through the floor 
of that tank so fast they must have thought it 
was a machine gun doing it. They saw what 
they were up against, and tried to retire. But 
we followed them close, and never gave them a 
chance to get away. 

“Seeing that they couldn’t escape that way, 
they suddenly reversed and tried to climb over us, 
but the Lieutenant was some driver, I can tell 
you, and reversed about as quickly as they did, so 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


107 


that was no go. Oh, we had them right that 
time, and no doubt about it.’* 

Here Amey took a last lingering puff at the 
remnants of his cigarette, and regretfully tossed 
it away. 

‘Well, how did it end?” questioned Billy, 
eagerly. 

“Oh, we got their gasoline tank, and then it 
was all over,” replied Amey, “of course, all the 
time the Lieutenant was backing and filling, I was 
pumping bullets into them for all I was worth. 
Suddenly there came a terrific explosion, and the 
whole inside of that tank was on. fire with burn- 
ing gasoline. That finished those who were left 
in it, and then we backed away from under, and 
as our men had reached their objectives by that 
time, we returned to our own lines. We were 
pretty well tom up by the encounter, but still had 
a little fight left in us.” 

“Gosh !” exclaimed Billy, when Amey had con- 
cluded his narrative, “I think that’s the service I’d 
like to get into. You get some excitement there.” 

“You are certainly hard to please!” exclaimed 
Tom. “Chances are you’ll get all the excitement 
you want this afternoon, when we get in touch 
with the Germans again. Making a frontal at- 
tach on a machine gun emplacement is all the ex- 
citement my young heart craves, ” 

“You’re probably easily satisfied,” grinned 


io8 


TANK AGAINST TANK 


Billy. “But if your young heart craves that 
method of diversion, we’ll let you go after the 
next one all by your lonesome.” 

Arney grinned at this exchange of repartee, 
and then, shaking hands all around, took his de- 
parture. Shortly afterward the bugle sounded, 
and once more the tedious and costly attack was 
resumed. 


CHAPTER XI 


LIQUID FIRE 

It was soon apparent that contact with the 
Germans had been made in earnest, for the resis- 
tance, which had been comparatively light in the 
morning, stiffened perceptibly. Machine gtm 
nests became more and more frequent, and in 
every case the machine gunners stood by their 
pieces until the last man was killed, or the gun put 
out of action. 

The Americans advanced as they could, some 
parts of the line of course preceding others, ac- 
cording to the resistance offered by the Germans. 
The portion in which the three friends were 
placed met with particularly stubborn resistance. 
They had to advance into a crossfire from several 
closely connected machine gun emplacements, but 
that was what they v/ere there for, and they ad- 
vanced to the task with a dogged persistence that 
shook the nerves of the Germans. 

‘‘This is getting to be pretty hot work,” panted 
Frank. “WeVe got to clean up some of those 
fellov/s pretty quick, or they’re going to clean us 
up.” 


109 


no 


LIQUID FIRE 


"‘All right, then, up and at ’em I” exclaimed 
Tom, and with a shout the three friends dashed 
forward, crouching low to avoid the storm of ma- 
chine gun bullets that whizzed by over their heads. 
On they dashed, until they reached the parapet 
surrounding one machine gun. Without a pause, 
they leaped over this, and, using their revolvers 
with deadly effect, quickly despatched the Ger- 
mans who formed its crew. 

“So far, so good,'* gritted Frank, the lust of 
battle in his eyes. “There's another parapet over 
there, fellows, and it's a cinch there’s one of 
these hornets concealed behind it. Let's get 
after it before the crew discovers us. They're 
not firing now, but they're apt to begin any min- 
ute.” 

“We're with you!” shouted Tom and Billy, 
and the three fearless Americans raced for this 
new obstacle. It seemed strange that the Ger- 
mans did not open fire on them, but they thought 
at first this was because the Germans had not yet 
seen them. They themselves were on a slightly 
elevated portion of ground, and over the Ger- 
mans' parapet could see the men standing about, 
but making no move to stop them. 

The boys did not stop to figure out the reason 
for this, however, but raced toward the position, 
and with shouts of triumph climbed over the 
pile of stones and sand bags. They were on 


LIQUID FIRE 


III 


the point of falling savagely on the Germans, 
when suddenly Tom exclaimed: 

‘There's no use wasting ammunition on these 
fellows. They're about as dead as they can be, 
already." 

And it was indeed as Tom said. Caught, prob- 
ably, by the gas from a bursting poison shell, they 
had died as they stood, and, leaning against the 
barricade, most of them had remained in a stand- 
ing position, although two or three lay stretched 
out on the ground. 

“We had our worry for nothing, here," ob- 
served Frank, “although we took the position, 
and that's about all anyone can do, after all." 

The boys had outstripped all their companions, 
so they took a brief breathing spell while they 
were waiting for the others to egme up. Soon 
they could see their comrades approaching, and 
at the same time a machine gun about a hundred 
feet to their right, of whose presence they had not 
been aware up to this time, started in a savage 
fusillade against the approaching boys in khaki. 

“We'll put a stop to that!" exclaimed Frank, 
and, as the others caught his meaning, all 
leaped to the German machine gun, and in a 
few seconds had it trained on the enemy. The 
Hun position was only lightly defended on the 
sides, and the machine gun projectiles bored 
through these, and wrought instant execution 


II2 


LIQUID FIRE 


among the startled Germans. The fire from 
their machine gun died out, and the boys knew 
that here was one more menace disposed of. The 
Americans, with this handicap removed, rushed 
forward with cheers, and soon the three friends 
were surrounded by their comrades in arms. 

The line pushed forward again, the places of 
those falling being taken by others eager to get 
their chance at the hated Boche. Machine gun 
after machine gun was taken, and trench after 
trench cleared out, but the defenses were so elabo- 
rate and so numerous that progress was at times 
heartbreakingly slow. Shells from the Ameri- 
can batteries in the rear fell constantly before 
them, helping somewhat to clear the ground, but 
still leaving much to be done by the infantry. 
About the middle of the afternoon a halt was 
called, the Americans crouching in captured 
trenches for a brief period of recuperation. 

“Gosh !” exclaimed Billy, “I may be all wrong, 
fellows, but just the same I have a feeling that 
the Boches don’t want us to capture the Argonne 
Forest. Don’t know what gives me that feeling, 
but I’ve got it all the same.” 

“You certainly have wonderful powers of ob- 
servation,” said Frank, dryly. “But come to 
think of it, I shouldn’t wonder if you were right. 
But before we get through with them they’ll wish 
they had made us a present of it in the first place, 
and saved themselves a bad licking.” 


LIQUID FIRE 


ti3 

‘'Maybe — started Tom, but he was cut short 
by the command to resume the advance. 

The Americans leaped from the trench and 
with a lusty cheer pressed onward. But the Ger- 
mans had a most unpleasant surprise in store for 
them. As they approached one trench, instead 
of bullets, streams of searing fire came shooting 
toward them. 

The Americans knew that this was the dreaded 
“liquid fire'’ that they had heard about, but up to 
now had never actually experienced. However, 
they knew that the trench had been captured, and 
so, shielding their faces as well as they could with 
their arms, they dashed forward, throwing hand 
grenades as they ran. The liquid fire only 
reached a distance of about a hundred feet, which 
made their task a little easier, cutting down the 
distance they had to go in the face of this obstacle 
to reach the trench. 

This liquid fire was one of the most infernal of 
the German inventions. The soldier operating it 
had on his back a bag containing the necessary 
chemicals, connected to a short length of hose 
with a narrow nozzle. When the chemicals con- 
tained in the bag combined, they formed a high 
pressure and as the chemical stream left the 
nozzle it burst into flame. The pressure was 
sufficient to carry it a considerable distance, and 
the acid seared and ate into any object with which 
it came into contact. It was one of the most 


LIQUID FIRE 


1 14 

dreaded of modem instmments of war, and it 
took the highest form of courage to face it. 

But it was just that kind of courage that dis- 
tinguished the American Army, and with shouts 
and cries of encouragement the American sol- 
diers leaped forward. Their hand grenades took 
instant effect, for almost at once the number of 
streams turned on them lessened, but there were 
still plenty left to make it exciting and hazardous 
work. 

Crouching almost double, the Americans 
dashed forward through this shower of death, 
and at last leaped into the German trenches. Then 
their heavy revolvers came into play, and the 
tables were quickly turned. In a very few min- 
utes the remaining Boches threw up their hands 
and cried for quarter. A number were taken 
prisoners, but the majority had made their last 
accoimting. 

‘‘By Jove!” exclaimed Frank, when he had re- 
covered his breath. “That’s the first time I ever 
bumped up against that stuff, and I sure hope 
it’s the last I’m willing to take my chance 
against bullets, but that diemical fire is a little 
too much to suit me.” 

“It came near getting me,” said Billy. “Just 
take a look at my coat, will you ?” 

They looked, and uttered exclamations of as- 
tonishment The entire front of Billy’s coat was 


LIQUID FIRE 


115 

eaten away, with blackened edges for all the 
world as if it had been burned by ordinary fire. 

** You’re pretty lucky to have gotten off as easy 
as that,” said Frank, soberly. ‘'Uncle Sam will 
give you a new coat. Some of the poor fellows 
have been horribly burned,” and he indicated a 
number of stretcher bearers who were slowly car- 
rying their burdens to the rear. 

“Yes, I guess I can’t kick,” agreed Billy. “Just 
make out we won’t have something to tell Bart 
when we see him again. He’ll certainly be sore 
at having to miss all this.” 

“He sure will,” agreed Frank, “he’ll never get 
over not being with us on this drive.” 

“Let’s investigate one of these flame throwing 
machines,” proposed Frank. “It looks as though 
we might be here a little while, and I’m curious to 
see what the things look like.” 

His companions readily acceded to his pro- 
posal, and stripped one of the machines from a 
dead German, and were soon familiar with its 
main features. They did not have time to make 
a very thorough examination, however, for the 
word to resume the advance was shortly passed 
down the line, and they resumed the drive. 

From that time on the going was a little easier, 
and they made satisfactory progress, inflicting 
great losses on the Germans, and losing only a 
comparatively small number of men themselves. 


ii6 


LIQUID FIRE 


Toward nightfall, the rain, which had held off all 
day, began to fall heavily, and this soon put an 
end to the advance for that day, as they were al- 
ready far beyond the point they had expected to 
reach. 

It was a thoroughly weary but nevertheless 
cheerful and triumphant lot of young Americans 
who made camp that night, for they had the con- 
sciousness of obstacles overcome and difficult 
work well done that made their bodily weariness 
seem a thirfg of small account, 


CHAPTER XII 


BEATING THE HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 

“Hurrah !” cried Frank, as he came running 
up to his comrades in a state of great excitement. 

“WhaPs up?*’ asked Billy. 

“The jig’s up,” returned Frank. 

“Whose jig?'’ asked Tom. 

“The Huns’, you boob,” Frank replied exul- 
tantly. “They’ve come to the end of their string. 
They’re down and out — kerflummexed — ausge- 
spielt — and if there’s anything worse than that 
they’re that.” 

“Now,” said Billy, “come down to earth and 
tell us what you mean. Talk to us in plain Eng- 
lish, so that our simple minds can take it in.” 

“Simple is right,” grinned Frank. “Well, then, 
here goes. The Huns have applied for an armis- 
tice. They’ve thrown up the sponge. They want 
to quit and they say so.” 

“Bully!” cried Tom. “So they’ve got enough 
of it at last. We’ve hammered them into pulp.” 

“I knew we’d bring them to their knees,” ex- 


117 


ii8 BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 


claimed Billy jubilantly. ‘‘Their goose was 
cooked when the Yanks got into the fight. But 
how do you know? Where did you get the 
news ?” 

‘T heard the major talking with the captain 
about it,” replied Frank. ‘T was sitting on a log 
cleaning my gun, and they came along and 
stopped to chin close to where I was. I got an 
earful of all that's been going on for the last two 
or three weeks. It seems that the high mucka- 
mucks in Berlin have been reading the handwrit- 
ing on the wall, and it's been giving them the 
shivers. First Bulgaria caved in, then Turkey 
followed suit. Both of them have surrendered 
and are out of the war. Austria took a last 
chance and the Italians have smashed her to bits 
and captured five hundred thousand men.” 

The boys gasped. 

“You're kidding us,” protested Billy. 

“Not a bit of it,” denied Frank. “I'm giving it 
to you straight. They've just gone down one 
after the other like a row of dominoes. And 
now Germany has made up her mind that she'll 
have to eat crow, too. The Huns sent a letter to 
President Wilson asking him to take steps toward 
giving them an armistice.” 

“Armistice,” echoed Tom a little doubtfully. 
“I don't exactly like the sound of that. It means 
that we shall stop fighting for a while. Why 


BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 119 


should we? That would only give Heinie a 
chance to get his breath and start in fresh again. 
WeVe got him on the run now, and we ought to 
keep it up until we send him hotfoot over the 
Rhine.” 

‘"Wait now,” said Frank. "Fm not through 
yet. Likely enough Heinie had that in mind. 
He's got everything to gain by getting a rest, and 
we've got everything to lose. But if that was 
one of his cute little tricks, he didn't get away 
with it. The President wrote back asking some 
awkward questions that put Heinie in a hole. 
There were two or three other notes, but the up- 
shot of it all was that the Huns were told to 
apply to Marshal Foch and he would tell them 
where they got off. Of course it wasn't put in 
that way, but that's the sense of it. They've got 
to send to the Marshal and beg him to stop lick- 
ing them. In other words, they'll have to admit 
defeat and sue for peace on the best terms they 
can get.'' 

“But will they do it?” asked Billy. “They've 
still got a big army and a big fleet. You'd think 
they'd stick it out a bit longer in the hope that 
things might take a different turn.” 

“Yes,” replied Frank. “The English would. 
The French would. The Americans would. But 
the baby-killers wouldn't. They're like all bullies. 
The stuff isn't there. When the pinch comes they 


120 


BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 


curl up. They’re ready to quit right now^ aild in 
a few days you’ll hear they’ve done it.” 

‘Tt listens good,” said Tom, ‘'and of course in 
one way it’s fine. But after what I’ve seen of the 
1 ings they’ve done to France, it seems as though 
they were getting off too easy. They ought to 
have their own towns and cities devastated, their 
orchards cut down, their mills blown up and their 
coal mines flooded. Then they’d get a taste of 
what they’ve been doing to others.” 

“That’s right,” agreed Billy. “But don’t think 
they’re not going to pay for everything they’ve 
done. They’ll be stripped to the bone and don’t 
you forget it.” 

“Well, I hope so,” said Tom, but with not 
much assurance. “I’d rather take it from them 
now and make sure of it. Nobody knows what 
will happen when those fellows get together and 
begin to bargain. They may throw away all the 
results of the war for all we can tell. It’s hap- 
pened more than once that the party that’s been 
licked on the field has got off almost scot free, if 
not actually gaining, when the peace treaty came 
to be signed.” 

“Well, you old croaker,” laughed Prank, 
“we’ll have to leave all that to the diplomats and 
take our chances on their not letting the Huns put 
anything over on them. In the meantime, all 
we’ve got to do is to fight.” 


BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 121 


“Ours not to make reply, 

Ours not to reason why, 

Ours but to do and die,"’ 

chanted Billy. 

But with all his doubts, Tom went on with the 
fighting with renewed inspiration at the news 
that victory was near at hand. And his friends 
were filled with rejoicing that the Hims were 
being beaten to their knees and were about ready 
to acknowledge it. Their tremendous exertions 
and sacrifices in leaving America and coming 
across the sea to fight for liberty and civilization 
against brutality and barbarism had not been in 
vain. They felt something the way the Crusaders 
must have felt when they caught sight of Jerusa- 
lem, the goal of their endeavors. 

And now the work of the last two weeks be- 
gan to tell. The enemy resistance began to grow 
feebler, though he still hung on desperately and 
tried by stubborn rear-guard actions to hold these 
persistent Americans back. But the worst part 
of the forest had been cleared. The whole place 
had been a vast fortress. Above the ground every 
possible natural and artificial obstruction had 
been put in their path, and had had to be con- 
quered one by one. Beneath the ground it had 
been like the Catacombs of Rome. There were 
subterranean passages, bombproof shelters, rail- 


122 BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 


ways, communicating trenches, cunning traps, a 
thousand devices that the Germans had been four 
years in perfecting. But none of these had 
thwarted American ingenuity and American 
courage. And as the enemy saw how fruitless 
their endeavors were, their confidence melted 
away and began to give place to panic. Nothing 
could stop these Americans. What was the use 
of trying? 

So the work grew easier for the Army Boys. 
They advanced faster and faster. They had got 
through the worst part of their task and were 
reaching the higher and clearer ground where 
tanks could operate more readily. Armored 
trucks and lorries were loaded with men and were 
sent forward in the direction of Stenay and 
Sedan. More prisoners were being brought in 
every day. 

The big naval guns that had been Drought over 
in sections by Plunkett’s men were beginning now 
to demonstrate their value. They outranged any- 
thing the Germans had. They threw projectiles 
that weighed fourteen hundred pounds a distance 
of from fifteen to twenty miles and they were 
concentrated now on the railway line from Mezic- 
res to Sedan that was the Germans’ last hope 
either for supplies or retreat The end was com- 
ing and coming fast, and the Army Boys were 
jubilant. 


BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 123 


They were pressing forward in this mood one 
afternoon when they found themselves held up 
by an especially stubborn machine gun nest. It 
commanded a position that was the key of the 
German defense in that section and the Germans 
were putting forth herculean efforts to hold it. 

It was useless to try to take it from in front, 
for a storm of bullets swept the road along which 
nothing could advance and live. 

Corporal Wilson was given a squad of men, 
among whom were Frank, Billy and Tom, and 
commanded to silence the position. 

They made a wide detour, worming their way 
along on both sides of the nest, and then at a 
given signal rushed the position. The startled 
gun crew turned their gun first one way and then 
the other in an attempt to check their assailants, 
but although some fell dead or wounded, the sur- 
vivors reached their goal, leaped upon the gun- 
ners and bayoneted them at their posts. 

''Gee, but that was a hot scrap!” panted Frank, 
as the last of the enemy went down. 

"You bet it was,” agreed Billy, "and weVe had 
to pay for it too. WeVe lost several of our fel- 
lows. Poor Milt Barlow was toppled over and 
Fred Anderson got a bullet in his shoulder.” 

"This was a regular fort,” commented Tom, as 
he looked about him. "Look at that pile of cart- 
ridges. There's thousands of rounds there. As 


124 BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 


far as bullets were concerned, those fellows could 
have held out all day.” 

“The Heinies certainly wanted to hold it,” said 
Billy, “and I shouldn’t wonder if they tried to 
retake it.” 

“Here comes a bunch of them now,” said 
Frank, as he looked in the direction of the Ger- 
man lines. “And they’re opening up with artil- 
lery too,” he added, as a shell came screaming 
through the air and exploded with a thunderous 
roar not fifty feet away. 

A crackling rifle fire followed the shell, and a 
bullet ploughed through the scalp of the corporal, 
knocking him senseless. 

There was no other officer at hand and Frank 
took command at once. His quick eye glancing 
about caught sight of a disabled and abandoned 
tank that was near by. It lay in such a position 
that its open door was on the side that faced the 
enemy. 

“Quick!” he ordered. “Put the machine gun 
in that tank. Hurry now and bring all that am- 
munition along. But first put the corporal be- 
hind that tree where a bullet can’t get him. 
Hustle’s the word.” 

There was need for haste, for a body of the 
enemy that outnumbered them ten to one was ap- 
proaching on the double quick. In a trice the 
wounded corporal was laid behind a tree in a 


BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 125 


position of comparative safety, the gun was trans- 
ported to the tank, together with the ammunition, 
and the little party was ready for the attack. 
Frank, Billy and Tom were crowded inside the 
tank with the gun, while four others lay down 
behind it in reserve, ready to take the place of 
any of the crew who might be killed or wounded. 

Crouching as closely in the tank as he could, 
Frank slewed the gun around in the direction of 
the enemy and sent a hail of bullets against the 
advancing ranks. 

Men were seen to stagger and fall, but their 
places were taken by others and the Germans con- 
tinued to come on. But that stream of fire kept 
up remorselessly, and at last the wave of attack- 
ers faltered, broke and fled. 

‘They’re running!” cried Billy exultantly. 

“A lot of them will never run again,” said 
Tom grimly, as he continued feeding the gun that 
Frank was aiming. 

.“They’ll be back,” prophesied Frank, for he 
could see the enemy in the shelter of the woods 
trying to reform. “This place is too important 
to give it up without another try. How’s the 
ammunition holding out?” 

“Plenty yet,” replied Billy. “There must be a 
thousand rounds. And the best of it is that 
they’re German bullets out of a German gun that 
we’re feeding to Fritz.” 


126 BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 


‘'Shows how honest we are,” chuckled Tom. 
“We’re giving him all that belongs to him. And 
we’re giving it to him too with compound in- 
terest.” 

Once more the Germans came on, only to be 
mowed down like corn before the reaper. The 
boys had thrown off all their upper garments now 
and were stripped to the waist, for the confined 
quarters of the tank and the heat of the firing 
were causing the perspiration to run down their 
faces and bodies in streams. 

Suddenly Tom gave a cry of alarm. 

“The gun’s getting too hot!” he exclaimed. 
“It blisters you. when you touch it. Well have 
to give it a rest and let it cool off.” 

“Rest nothing,” declared Frank, as he saw that 
the Germans were trying to advance. “They’d 
be on us before we’d be ready to fire again. 
Quick, you fellows, get your canteens and pour 
the water into the cooler of the gun. That’ll keep 
it going so that we can use it.” 

“In a twinkling his comrades obeyed, and every 
drop that their canteens contained was emptied 
into the cooler. The result was apparent at once, 
and the gun continued its deadly work without 
interruption. 

But now the Germans had brought up a field- 
piece and placed it in position where it had a good 
target in the tank, and shells began to fall thick 


BEATING HUNS TO THEIR KNEES 127 


and fast in the vicinity of their temporary fort. 
It was evidently only a matter of time before one 
of them would strike it and put it out of business. 

“Getting pretty hot,” muttered Frank, as one 
shell fell within twenty feet and a great volume 
of smoke and dirt rolled over them. 

“Can't you pick off the gunners, Frank?” 
asked Billy. 

“I’m trying to,” answered Frank, “but the bul- 
lets fall short. Those fellows are too far out of 
range.” 

As he spoke, there was a roar that almost split 
their eardrums and a sheel exploded within a few 
feet of the tank. It dug a great crater under one 
edge of the tank which began to topple ominously. 

“Jump!” shouted Frank, and they leaped out 
just as the tank lurched over and tumbled into 
the hole. 

They were just in time, for in another instant 
the monster would have carried them with it and 
probably caught them beneath its weight. As it 
was, Tom’s leg was badly scraped by one of the 
edges as it passed him. 


CHAPTER XIII 


THE WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 

The Germans sent up a triumphant shout as 
they saw the tank go over, and a large detach- 
ment came rushing out of the woods. But by the 
time they had advanced a few yards, Frank and 
his squad grabbed their rifles, and, crouching be- 
hind what shelter they could find, sent a volley of 
bullets into the enemy ranks. 

It was a critical position for the little group of 
Americans. The enemy at that special point out- 
numbered them, and military prudence v/ould 
have dictated a retreat. But their fighting blood 
was up and their rifles still held several bullets 
each. They would at least empty these into the 
enemy ranks before they fell back. Then, too, 
there was the corporal, who had as yet given no 
sign of consciousness. The boys could not think 
of leaving him to be captured by the foe. 

Moreover, the position was an important one, 
as was shown by the frantic eagerness of the Ger- 
mans to regain it. All things considered, Frank 
determined to hold the ground to the death. 

128 


WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 129 


''They’ll have to pay dearly for this place if 
they get it,” he muttered between his clenched 
teeth as he disposed his little band to the best ad- 
vantage. "Don’t waste your bullets, boys. Take 
aim and make every one of them tell.” 

"Righto,” responded Tom, as cool as a cu- 
cumber, as he took careful aim and saw a Ger- 
man throw up his hands and fall. "There’s one 
less to bother about.” 

The others followed his example, and their 
bullets did stern execution, so much so that the 
Germans had an impression that they were faced 
by a much larger detachment than was really 
there. They hesitated and sought shelter behind 
trees while their officers conferred. 

"Heinie thinks he’s bitten off more than he can 
chew,” chuckled Billy, as the little squad took 
advantage of the respite to reload their rifles. 

"I guess the whole Germai ■ army has had that 
impression for some time,” laughed Tom. 

"Don’t kid yourselves,” warned Frank. "This 
is only a breathing spell. This position may 
come high, but they have to have it, and you’ll see 
them coming on again in a minute.” 

The words had scarcely fallen from his lips 
before the Germans appeared, with all their losses 
made up by the addition of new units, and came 
rushing toward them with an officer at their head, 
waving his revolver. 


130 WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 


‘‘Something new for Heinie/’ muttered Frank, 
as his eye ran along the stock of his rifle. “The 
officers usually send their men forward while 
they themselves stay in the rear.” 

His rifle spoke and the officer plunged forward 
to the ground. 

“Good shooting,” commended Billy, as a bullet 
from his gun also found its mark. 

But this time the Germans were bound on win- 
ning through, and they came on with determina- 
tion. The distance between the two forces less- 
ened to a hundred feet, then to eighty, then to 
fifty. The Army Boys pumped lead into the 
enemy ranks as fast as their fingers could pull 
the trigger and the German loss was heavy, but 
still they kept on. 

“Fix bayonets,” commanded Frank, his eyes 
blazing, as the line got within thirty feet of him. 
“When I give the word, follow me.” 

Another moment passed. 

“Forward!” shouted Frank, and the next in- 
stant he sprang forward with leveled bayonet, 
with his devoted little band close on his heels. 

There was a shout and a volley from the Ger- 
mans and two of Frank’s men fell wounded, but 
the rest kept on and in another second they were 
in the midst of the German ranks and giving them 
the bayonet. 

Stabbing and hacking, they hewed their way 
into the mass. And just at that moment there 


WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 131 


was a great cheer behind them and a company of 
the old Thirty-seventh with Captain Baker at 
their head came pounding along and threw them- 
selves into the fight. 

The tables had turned and turned with a ven- 
geance, and now it was the Germans who were 
outnumbered. They were already disconcerted 
by the savageness of Frank’s attack and the com- 
ing of the new foe threw them into a panic. They 
put up a show of resistance, but this soon van- 
ished, and they broke and fled, pursued by the 
Americans who did not pause in the work until 
they had rounded up the greater portion of the 
fleeing enemy as prisoners. 

The captain congratulated Frank and his com- 
rades warmly for their gallant stand, but there 
was little time for talk, for much remained to be 
done. The prisoners were sent to the rear and 
the wounded were gathered up and taken away 
to an advanced dressing station. The corporal, 
they were glad to be told, was not fatally 
wounded, although he would probably be in the 
hospital for a couple of weeks. 

“That means that he’s probably fired his last 
shot at a Hun,” remarked Frank. “By the time 
he comes out it will be all over but the shouting.” 

“Come out of your dream,” said Tom, who 
could never see what he thought was a bubble 
without a desire to stick a pin in it. “We’re a 
long way yet from the Rhine.” 


132 WHITE FLAG GF SURRENDER 


''But we’re getting nearer all the time,” chimed 
in Billy. "I’U bet we’ll be sailing on it before 
Christmas.” 

"And listening to the Lorelei singing,” grinned 
Frank. 

"Yes,” laughed Billy, "but it’ll be a different 
^song from the one she’s used to. Instead of 
Die IVacht am Rhein she’ll be singing the Mar- 
seillaise and the Star Spangled Banner. I’ll bet 
she’s practicing up on it now so as to be ready 
for us.” 

"I don’t know what brand of dope you fellows 
are using,” protested Tom, "but whatever it is I’d 
advise you to change it.” 

But his comrades were better prophets than 
Tom was willing to admit, for that very night 
Frank had an interview with Colonel Pavet that 
changed his hopes into a certainty. 

The colonel was coming out of headquarters 
when he recognized Frank, who was on sentry 
duty near by. The colonel came to Frank at 
once with his usual cordial greeting. 

"I suppose you have heard the news,” he said. 

"No,” said Frank. "What is it Cplon^l?’' 

"The German delegates are copiinr- meet 
Marshal Foch,” smiled 1 French oh , whose 
exultation appeared in his ^ones. 

"Good !” said Frank delightedly. "They ought 
to be comi % on their knees.” 


THE WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 133 


‘Well, it amounts to that,’' laughed the French 
colonel. “It means nothing less than surrender. 
They have been the first to cry quits. They asked 
your President to intercede with the Allies for 
them, and he told them that they would have to 
apply to Marshal Foch for terms. Ah, mon ami, 
that was a bitter pill for the Germans to swallow. 
But they swallowed it. The Marshal replied to 
them that they would have to come to his head- 
quarters and he would tell them the terms on 
which he would grant their plea. So the Ger- 
mans have appointed a commission to visit the 
Marshal and they are on their way now. They 
will reach our lines in an hour or two and then 
they will be taken in charge by French officers, 
blindfolded and conveyed to the Marshal’s pres- 
ence.” 

“And where is that?” asked Frank. 

“Ah, that is a military secret,” smiled the 
colonel, shaking his finger in mock reproof. “The 
Germans would have been very glad if they had 
been able to find that out during the war. But 
they’ll find it out soon enough now,” he added 
with a Fngh. 

“I’d good deal to see the interview,” said 

Frank. b 

“It would indeed b^ ^mething to remember,” 
agreed the colonel. “I would give some years of 
my life if I could have that privilege t Vj^self. ^ But 


134 WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 


I ought not to complain, for I at least will be able 
to see the opening scene of the great world play.” 

''How is that?” asked Frank with great in- 
terest. 

"My regiment will be in charge of that part of 
the French line where the German delegates will 
first appear on their visit to the Marshal,” replied 
the colonel. "Their route has been planned out 
for them. The pleasant duty will devolve on me 
of having them blindfolded and then sending 
them on their journey under French escort. I 
am on my way back to my regiment now in order 
to have everything in readiness.” 

"For a moment I could almost wish that I were 
in your regiment,” laughed Frank. 

"And I would only be too delighted if you 
were,” returned the colonel. "The regiment holds 
no braver man. But wait a moment,” he said, 
as a thought struck him. "I will see what ar- 
rangements I may be able to make.” 

He went inside headquarters again and after a 
few moments returned. 

"I shall need a messenger,” he said, "to bring 
back certain details to your commander. I had 
at first intended to entrust that work to my or- 
derly, but what you said gave me a new idea. I 
have asked your commander to let me take you 
with me for that purpose and he has readily 
agreed. You will be relieved from guard duty 


WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 135 


and you can take my orderly’s horse and come 
along with me. My regiment is not a great way 
from yours, as our lines nearly touch, and you 
can be back in your quarters by midnight.” 

''Thank you a thousand times!” said Frank 
joyfully. "You have put me under a great obli- 
gation.” 

"A mere trifle,” replied the colonel, waving the 
thanks aside. "I can never forget that I owe my 
life to you. You can join me here in a few min- 
utes and we will go on.” 

The sergeant of the guard came up shortly and 
relieved Frank, who hurried to his dugout to 
make some hasty preparations and tell his friends 
of his good fortune. They were overjoyed. 

"Lucky dog,” remarked Billy, giving him a re- 
sounding thump on the shoulder. "I only wish 
that the colonel needed three messengers instead 
of one so that we could all go along.” 

"If you fell overboard, you wouldn’t get wet,” 
chaffed Tom. "Give my best regards to the 
Heinies when you see them and tell them how 
sorry I am that they’ve got to eat crow.” 

"I won’t forget,” laughed Frank, as he shook 
hands hurriedly and hastened off. 

He found the colonel waiting for him. In a 
moment Frank had mounted the orderly’s horse 
and he and the colonel rode off together. 

"By the way,” remarked the colonel, in the 


136 WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 


course of the conversation that ensued as they 
rode side by side, ‘1 heard from Andre two days 
ago, and he said that things were not progressing 
as favorably as he could hope in regard to the 
De Latour property. Quite unexpectedly addi- 
tional obstacles have come up. I was not going 
to bother you about this, for I knew you would 
be greatly worried. But the war has changed 
many things, and things in law are not so easy to 
adjust as they were. I am still hoping that all 
will come out right in the end. He, however, 
expects that he will be able to have the title per- 
fected before Christmas, which is now less than 
two months off. I know the delay is exasperat- 
ing, but that is to be expected in all legal affairs. 
I thank the stars,” he added with a smile, ^‘that I 
was made a soldier instead of a lawyer.” 

agree with you,” returned Frank, ‘‘and yet 
we couldn't very well do without them, and I am 
very thankful to your brother as well as yourself 
for the kindness you have shown in trying to se- 
cure my mother's rights.” 

Frank tried to speak lightly but he was forced 
to heave a heavy sigh. There had been so many 
delays in the past! Would his mother ever be 
able to prove her claim to that property and really 
take possession of it ? 

In a little while they had reached the French 
lines. 


WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 137 


“You see,” smiled the colonel, “that I was 
right when I said it would be a race between us 
to see who would get first to Sedan. We’ve kept 
pretty well up with you, although your task has 
been far the harder. Oh, you Americans! I’m 
glad that you’re our friends instead of our ene- 
mies as I should hate to have to face your soldiers 
in the field.” 

“We’ll never meet except as brothers in arms,” 
returned Frank. “That’s what Washington and 
Lafayette were, and our nations have been the 
closest of friends ever since. The greatest re- 
public of the old world and the greatest of the 
new have always stood and will always stand for 
liberty and civilization.” 

They soon reached the colonel’s quarters, and 
the latter then confided Frank to the charge of a 
young lieutenant, with instructions that he should 
be given refreshments and be treated with every 
courtesy and attention. The young fellow was 
of about the same age as Frank, and was de- 
lighted to find that the latter spoke French almost 
as perfectly as himself. They were soon chatting 
together like old friends. 

Throughout the regiment there was an attitude 
of solemnity and expectation. The men had been 
told of what was coming and it had thrilled them 
with a feeling too deep for words. They stood at 
rest in the darkness, and few words were inter- 


138 WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER 


changed. Each was realizing that the end of the 
four years of agony was in sight. France and 
her Allies had won their fight. The brutal, 
beastly power that had sought to drench the world 
in tears and blood and sow it with graves had 
been brought to its knees. Right had conquered. 
Men could stand erect instead of crouching as 
slaves. The would-be oppresser, cowed and cring- 
ing, had come to beg for mercy. 

Suddenly at a turn of the road a stream of 
light flashed out, and there was a stir in the ranks. 
The light came nearer, and it could be seen that 
it came from a large automobile that was rapidly 
approaching. Other cars followed and the land- 
scape was flooded with light. 

But the thing that thrilled Frank to the mar- 
row was this: 

Over every car floated a white flag. 


CHAPTER XIV 


VICTORY 

The Hun was beaten at last. 

Those white flags meant surrender, defeat. 

The bully of Europe was whipped. 

Germany’s wild and wicked adventure was 
ended. She had appealed to force and force had 
answered her. 

The pirate flag, the flag of the skull and cross- 
bones, had been hauled down. In its place was 
the white flag that admitted defeat and sued for 
terms. 

The cars drove up to where Colonel Pavet and 
his officers were standing. There they came to a 
stop. 

One by one, the German peace delegates de- 
scended from the car. They were received with 
cold and ceremonious politeness. 

One of the men, the leader of the party, was in 
civilian dress. The others were in military or 
naval uniforms. 

The formalities were soon over. They had 
reached the French lines and from now on would 


139 


140 


VICTORY 


be in the custody of French officers. One by one 
the delegates were blindfolded, so that they might 
gain no information of military importance as 
they passed through the French lines. Then the 
delegates were helped into their seats, the French 
officers who were to accompany them gave the 
signal, and the cars started off on their long jour- 
ney to the forest of Compiegne, where in a rail- 
road car, drawn up on a siding, there was waiting 
for them the grave, stern soldier, whose genius 
had struck a deathblow to the German cause just 
when its prospects seemed brightest, and who had 
kept hammering at the crumbling lines until the 
end had come in the blackness of utter and abso- 
lute defeat. 

Frank drew a long breath as the last of the line 
of cars faded from sight in the darkness. So 
many sensations had come crowding in upon him 
in the last few minutes that his brain was in a 
whirl. He knew that he had been privileged to 
see one of the most momentous happenings in the 
history of the world. 

So engrossed was he in his thoughts that it was 
almost as in a dream that he exchanged cordial 
greetings with Colonel Pavet and the young lieu- 
tenant and started on his ride homeward. He 
had anticipated a hilarious time in. narrating 
to Tom and Billy all he had felt and seen, 
but he was really glad when he arrived at 


VICTORY 


141 

his quarters that they were sound asleep. Ordi- 
narily he would have wakened them without cere- 
mony, but just now he wanted to snuggle down in 
his blanket and go over and over again in his 
mind the events of that night of nights. 

His first and controlling thought was that of 
his country. Above everything else he was an 
American through and through. He was proud 
of his country, of its traditions, of its history, of 
its glorious flag. For that flag he had risked his 
life again and again. He loved it with a consum- 
ing passion. Old Glory ! The tears came to his 
eyes as he thought of it. The flag that had al- 
ways stood for human freedom and human 
rights, the flag that had never covered an ignoble 
cause, the flag that had never been sullied by 
stain, had never been smirched by defeat, had 
never been dragged in the dust. Now once more 
it was triumphant in the greatest war that had 
ever been waged on earth. God bless it ! 

Later his thoughts took a more personal turn. 
It meant that soon he would be back with that 
dear mother of his whose love for him had kept 
him clean and straight through all this terrible 
conflict. He saw the little house in Camport, 
embowered in roses, saw himself going back 
there, saw his mother running to the gate to meet 
him. 

It was a long time before he fell asleep. 


142 


VICTORY 


In the morning he was his own jolly care-free 
self again and it was well that he was, for he was 
besieged with questions by his chums concerning 
all the details of his experience. 

'Well, you haughty diplomat,” was Billyhs 
greeting, "have you settled the terms of the 
armistice? Have you ordered the Kaiser to be 
shot? Out with it, now.” 

"Hardly that,” laughed Frank. "I was sim- 
ply a looker-on among a thousand others. But I 
tell you what, fellows, it was something worth 
looking at. It was something I sha'n’t forget as 
long as I live.” 

"I bet you won’t,” returned Tom. "How did 
the Huns look ?” 

"They didn’t look as though they enjoyed it 
much,” returned Frank. "In fact, they looked 
very much like men who were going to be stood 
up before a firing squad. One of them reached 
out his hand to Colonel Pavet, but the colonel 
was looking over his head just at that moment 
and somehow failed to see it. He was very po- 
lite though. You know the Frenchmen are great 
sticklers when it comes to matters of etiquette 
and form.” 

"How long have the Heinies got to decide 
whether they’ll sign the armistice or not?” asked 
Tom. 

"The colonel told me that they’d have three 


VICTORY, 


143 


days/' answered Frank. ‘‘Let's see, yesterday 
was the seventh of November. Today's the 
eighth. They’ll get there some time this morn- 
ing. That will give them till the eleventh to 
sign, next Monday morning.” 

“Suppose they don’t sign it?” suggested Tom 
gloomily. 

“So much the worse for them then,” answered 
Frank. “Instead of losing their boots and shirts 
they’ll lose their hides as well. But they’ll sign 
all right, never fear. The colonel says that 
they’re running around in Berlin like wild men. 
Ludendorff has resigned and the Kaiser has left 
Berlin to go to the army headquarters at Spa for 
protection. The Crown Prince is afraid to be 
seen in the streets. You see the Heinies have 
been fed up on lies so long that now they’re 
learning they’re licked they’re going crazy. And 
naturally they’re turning on the men who have 
been lying to them. Oh, it’s quite a different 
Berlin now from the one that hung out the flags 
and rang the bells when they heard that the Lw^f- 
tania had been sunk and a lot of women and ba- 
bies drowned.” 

“Well now we^ve got some news,” said Tom 
with a sober face, “and it isn’t very good news 
either.” 

“What is it?” asked Frank in quick alarm as 
his thoughts turned instantly to his absent chum. 


144 


VICTORY 


‘‘Don't tell me that anything has happened to 
Bart.” 

“He isn't dead,” Billy hastened to explain. 
“But he's disappeared from the hospital.” 

“Disappeared?” replied Frank in dismay. 
“What do you mean by that?” 

“Why,” said Billy, “it seems that he has been 
out of his head. You know he was delirious the 
last time we saw him. Well, one of the fellows 
who was in the hospital with him came back to 
duty last night and told us that about three days 
ago when the nurse's back was turned, Bart 
slipped out of a door or a window, and when the 
nurse came back he wasn't there. Nobody saw 
him go and nobody has the least idea what has 
become of him.” 

Frank was unspeakably shocked by the news. 
Bart had become to him little less than a brother 
and the various experiences they had been 
through together since they had been in the army 
had strengthened and deepened this feeling. 

“But what could have happened to him?” he 
asked desperately. “What will become of him? 
It's horrible to think of his wandering around in 
this forsaken stretch of country. He may wan- 
der into the German lines and be shot or taken 
prisoner.” 

“I don't think that,” said Billy soothingly. 
“The chances are all against it. He'd have to pass 


VICTORY 


145 


through our lines to do it and it’s dollars to 
doughnuts that he couldn’t do it without being 
seen. At any minute we may hear that he’s been 
found and taken back to the hospital. At any 
rate, we know that the wound he got didn’t kill 
him and while there’s life there’s hope.” 

‘‘Yes,” said Tom, who for once felt that it was 
up to him to look on the bright side of things in 
view of his friend’s evident distress, “Bart’s 
worth a dozen dead men yet. Think how many 
things he’s been through and yet turned up as 
right as a trivet. Keep up your spirits and hope 
for the best.” 

They spoke with a confidence that they were 
far from feeling, for they knew what they re- 
frained from telling Frank that a most careful 
search had already been made without disclosing 
the slightest trace of Bart’s whereabouts. 

Frank was badly shaken by the news he had 
heard and it was fortunate for him that the work 
that yet lay before the army was such as to en- 
gross his mind and keep him from brooding. 

For the Allied commanders were taking no 
chances. They knew too much of German du- 
plicity to rely on their good faith in any matter. 
The nation that regarded solemn treaties as 
“scraps of paper” was not to be trusted in the 
slightest particular. Only when the mad dog of 
Europe should be finally tied and muzzled could 


146 


VICTORY 


the Allies afford to relax their efforts in any de- 
gree. 

So the word had gone forth that for the next 
three days the fighting should be pushed as sternly 
and unrelentingly as ever. 

The Germans on their side had an especial rea- 
son to make as good a showing as possible while 
the terms were being debated. If they could 
show that they were further from collapse than 
the Allies had supposed, the latter might be will- 
ing to moderate their demands. 

So for three days more the fighting continued 
with unabated bitterness. And the Allies were 
not to be denied. In every part of the wide-flung 
battle line they kept on winning. And in the 
Argonne and on the Meuse, where the Americans 
were winding up their task, those days marked a 
succession of victories. The war was ending in 
a blaze of glory for the forces of civilization. 

Monday morning came at last, the 11th of No- 
vember, 1918, when the whole world was listen- 
ing for news. And the news came. It sped 
across the ocean cables, it flashed through the air 
by wireless, it set the bells ringing and the 
whistles shrieking in every part of the Allied 
world, it sent the people of Paris and London and 
Rome and New York into the streets in thankful 
and rejoicing throngs, it thrilled both hemi- 
spheres and all the continents. Only in the capi- 


VICTORY 


147 


tals of the Central Powers did it sound like the 
knell of doom. 

It came, too, to the battlefronts, came in a 
clarion note of bugles that woke the men from 
sleep. 

‘"What is it?” asked Tom sleepily. 

“It^s too early for reveille,” grumbled Billy. 

“Wake up, you boobs!” cried Frank joyously. 
“The armistice is signed I The war is over I” 


CHAPTER XV 


ON TO THE RHINE 

It would have been hard to analyze the feel- 
ing of the Army Boys when the meaning of it all 
dawned upon them. 

Their first feeling was that of satisfaction at 
work well done. Uncle Sam had sent them over 
to finish the job. Well, they had finished it. 

Their next sensation was that of delight at 
having accomplished the downfall of the Huns. 
They had saved the world from slavery to the 
most brutal nation that the modern world had 
known. 

Then there was the feeling that at last they 
could be free from the daily danger of wounds 
and death. They had risked this freely and 
gladly as long as it was necessary. Yet life was 
sweet and they were young. 

‘T told you they'd sign,” exclaimed Frank as 
as he gave Tom a resounding thump on the back. 
‘‘Now what have you got to say for yourself, you 
old croaker?” 

“I'm the goat,” admitted Tom with a joyous 
grin. “Josh all you like. I'm too happy to want 


ON TO THE RHINE 


149 


to come back at you. But don't forget/' he 
added, as a thought struck him, “that they may 
back out yet. They’re the greatest crawfishes on 
earth." 

“Not a chance," chimed in Billy. “They're 
down and out. Gee, wouldn't you like to be in 
little old Camport this minute? Can't you see 
them all out on the streets and the laughing and 
the crying and the shaking hands and all the rest 
of it?" 

“Just wait till the old Thirty-seventh goes 
swinging through the Camport streets," gloated 
Tom. “They’ll give us the town. Nothing will 
be too good for us." 

“We’ll surely be It with a capital I," agree 
Frank happily. “If only good old Bart could be 
with us," he added, and a shadow came over his 
face. 

“That’s the one fly in the ointment," admitted 
Billy. “But he will be with us and don't you for- 
get it. He’s liable to turn up any minute." 

“And now that the fighting is over, we may 
have a chance to look for him ourselves,” put in 
Tom. “It stands to reason he can’t be very far 
from here. But now let’s go to chow. We ought 
to have an extra good meal this morning with a 
lot of victory sauce to season it." 

They found the rest of the regiment as wildly 
excited as they were themselves, and there was a 


ON TO THE RHINE 


150 

perfect Babel of voices as the matter was dis- 
cussed in all its bearings. 

‘'Look at the fellows* faces/* chuckled Billy. 
*‘They*re like so many full moons.** 

“Rather different from what they were when 
the Germans seemed to have the upper hand in 
the Spring,** grinned Frank. “If any one then 
had told us that the Germans would have caved in 
before Christmas, we*d have thought he was 
crazy. But here it isn’t Thanksgiving yet and 
they’ve cried quits.” 

“I suppose there’ll be a little more fighting yet 
this morning,” said Tom hopefully. “You know 
the armistice doesn’t go into force until eleven 
o’clock.” 

“Hear the glutton,” chaffed Frank. “He hasn’t 
got enough fighting yet. He wants to get an- 
other crack at the Hun.” 

“I suppose there will be a show of fighting until 
the last minute,” said Billy. “But I guess it will 
be a matter of form. The artillery will open up 
but they’ll fire wild. There’ll be just enough to 
show that the army’s on the job.” 

Billy was right. The morning wore away in a 
desultory fashion, with every man looking at his 
wrist watch every five minutes until eleven o’clock 
approached. Then when the moment came, all 
the big guns let go at once in one tremendous 
salvo that seemed as though it would split the 
heavens. 


ON TO THE RHINE 


151 

The war was over ! 

The silence that followed was the most curious 
sensation that the Army Boys had known. Day 
and night, the guns had been growling for 
months, sometimes faintly, sometimes strongly, 
but always growling. Now all along that vast 
battle line of five hundred miles there was that 
moment of blessed silence for which those mill- 
ions of men had been waiting and fighting. The 
end of the long agony had come. 

Frank, Billy, and Tom dropped their rifles and 
looked at each other. Usually they were talka- 
tive enough, but just now they were too full for 
words. 

Over the hill in front of them appeared a group 
of German soldiers. They advanced a little, then 
hung back, then advanced again, and made signs 
that indicated that they wanted to talk with the 
Americans. But they were waved sternly back. 
The Americans wanted to have nothing to do 
with them. 

The strictest rules had been laid down by the 
American officers that there was to be no frater- 
nizing with the enemy. While hostilities had 
ceased, the war was still formally regarded as 
being on imtil the actual treaty of peace was 
signed. It might yet be necessary to take up 
arms again, and the Americans were going to 
take no chance of German propaganda getting in 
its nefarious work. 


152 


ON TO THE RHINE 


''A mighty good rule it is too/’ commented 
Frank, as he saw the discomfited Germans slink 
back into their own lines. “If those fellows had 
played the game fairly and gallantly as we played 
it, I’d be the first one to shake hands with them 
after the fighting was over and let bygones be by- 
gones. But there isn’t a decent rule of civilized 
warfare that they haven’t violated. I’d as soon 
shake hands with a rattlesnake.” 

“I didn’t know a rattlesnake had hands,” gur- 
gled Billy, and dodged the pass that Frank made 
at him. 

“Well, now that the fighting is over, what’s the 
next thing on the program ?” asked Tom. 

“Where do we go from here, boys. 
Where do we go from here ?” 

chanted Billy. 

“That’s a question for our officers to settle,” 
remarked Frank. “Of course we’ll all go back 
to the good old U. S. A. eventually. At that, it 
will be a tremendous job to get over two million 
men back to the States. But I imagine a good 
many of us will have to stay over here and do 
police duty imtil the peace treaty is signed. Let’s 
go down to the headquarters bulletin board and 
see just what the armistice terms are. That may 
give us a little light on the subject.” 


ON TO THE RHINE 


153 


The men had been given liberty now to leave 
the ranks, and they found a great crowd gathered 
about a number of bulletin boards where the 
printed terms of the armistice had been posted. 
So great was the throng that they found difficulty 
in getting near the announcements. 

‘‘Here,'' said Frank giving Tom a push. 
“You've got gall enough to get in anywhere. 
Buck the line and come back with the dope." 

Tom obeyed and wormed his way through the 
crowd until he got a good view of a board. He 
jotted down some of the main points and came 
back with his eyes bulging. 

“We're going to the Rhine, fellows!" he ex- 
claimed. “We're going to the Rhine!" 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE MARCH OF TRIUMPH 

‘‘How do you know?” asked Frank, as he and 
Billy made a grab for the piece of paper on which 
Tom had jotted down his notes. 

“Leave that alone,” said Tom, holding it out 
of reach. “I had the work of getting this stuff 
and I’m going to have the pleasure of telling you 
the news.” 

“Get busy then,” adjured Billy impatiently. 

“Before I tell you anything else,” said Tom, 
“listen to this: The Kaiser’s skipped.” 

“What ?” they exclaimed in chorus. 

“Straight goods,” vowed Tom. “He ran away 
like a cur. He didn’t even wait till the armistice 
was signed. He struck out like a coyote for 
Holland yesterday. He had a special train wait- 
ing for him.” 

“Yellow all through!” exclaimed Frank in dis- 
gust. 

“He’s a hero — I don’t think,” remarked Billy. 

“They say that the crowd in Holland guyed 
him something awful while he was at the Eysden 


154 


THE MARCH OF TRIUMPH 


155 


railroad station/’ went on Tom. ‘‘Told him that 
wasn’t the road to Paris and a lot of other little 
things like that.” 

“What’s become of the Clown Prince ?” grinned 
Frank. 

“Oh, he’s skipped too, just the same as papa,” 
laughed Tom. “They don’t know just yet where 
he’s gone to, but he’s also among the missing.” 

“They’re a precious pair,” grunted Billy. “But 
it won’t do them any good. The Allies will get 
after them yet and yank them out of their holes.” 

“We’ll hope so,” said Frank. “I’d like to have 
them both put in a cage and exhibited in every 
city of the world. But let’s lay off his royal nibs 
and get down to brass tacks. How do you know 
we’re going to the Rhine ?” 

“I don’t exactly know that we are,” confessed 
Tom. “But I do know that a big army of our 
men are going, and it stands to reason that since 
we’re the nearest to the Rhine, we’ll be in the 
bunch. At any rate, even if our special regiment 
isn’t going, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble in 
taking the place of some of the others who would 
rather go back to the States right away. Are you 
game to go if we can make it? I am.” 

“Same here,” ejaculated Billy. 

“I am too,” said Frank a little more slowly. 
“The only thing is that under other circumstances 
I’d be anxious to get home on my mother’s ac- 


156 THE MARCH OF TRIUMPH 


count. But Tve got to stay over here an)rway 
until her property affairs are all closed up. So 
I'm with the rest of the bunch.” 

‘‘Good !” said Tom and Billy in one breath. 

“You see it's this way,” went on Tom, refer- 
ring to his notes. “The Allies are going to oc- 
cupy all the German territory on this side of the 
Rhine. Then in certain parts they're going to 
cross the Rhine. You see there are three great 
crossings, one at Coblenz, one at Mayence and 
another at Cologne. The Allies are going to oc- 
cupy a bridgehead eighteen miles in size on the 
other side of the Rhine at these crossings. 
That'll cage up the Heinies so that they couldn't 
get back into France and Belgium even if they 
wanted to.” 

“Won't they feel sore to have Allied soldiers 
on the sacred soil of Germany !” grinned Billy. 

“And have to take off their hats every time the 
Star Spangled Banner is played,” laughed Frank. 
“I tell you it will be a bitter pill for those fellows 
to swallow.” 

“It sure will,” agreed Tom. “But wait till you 
hear the rest of the armistice terms. They've 
surely made a thorough job of it. They've 
taken away from Heinie everything except his 
shirt, and he'll have to borrow a barrel to go 
home in.” 

“Is it as bad as that ?” chuckled Billy. 


THE MARCH OF TRIUMPH 


157 


'Worse,” replied Tom. listen to this 

and judge for yourself. The Germans have got 
to give up five thousand heavy and light field 
guns, one thousand seven hundred airplanes, three 
thousand trench mortars, thousands of machine 
guns, all their submarines ” 

"For the love of Pete !” interrupted Billy. 

"All their submarines,” went on Tom, "ten of 
the dreadnoughts, eight battle cruisers, six light 
cruisers, fifty destroyers, five thousand locomo- 
tives, one hundred and fifty thousand railroad 
i cars, and a lot more things that I didn’t have 
I time to jot down. But that will give you some 
j idea of what our victory means to us and what 
• defeat means to them. It hasn’t turned out a 
very profitable thing for the fellows that set out 
to loot the world, has it ?” 

"Well, it clinches the whole business anyway,” 
remarked Frank. "It makes it impossible for 
Germany to resume the war even if she wanted to, 
and as far as that’s concerned, the armistice is 
just as good as an actual treaty of peace.” 

"Exactly,” agreed Billy. "I guess we’ve seen 
our last fighting.” 

"And it sure has been some fighting,” ob- 
served Frank, as his thoughts went back over all 
the events of the last few months. "It’s a miracle 
that we’ve lived through it.” 

"There have certainly been times when I 


158 THE MARCH OF TRIUMPH 


wouldn't have given a plugged nickel for our 
chances of coming out alive/* agreed Billy, 
thoughtfully. ‘'Oh, if only Bart was here to 
celebrate with us/* 

For the rest of that day they took the ease and 
comfort that they had so richly earned. The 
camp rules were relaxed and it was a general holi- 
day. They were conscious of an immense weari- 
ness of body, as the reaction came from the strain 
under which they had so constantly labored, but 
their mental exhilaration was so great that they 
were supremely happy. It was a curious expe- 
rience to be able to walk erect in perfect security, 
without having to crouch behind a tree or a 
trench or throw themselves to the ground at the 
approach of a shell. It was a day of peace and 
they enjoyed it beyond measure from the contrast 
with the terrible days that had gone before. 

But the next morning a stir ran through the 
regiment. The old Thirty-seventh had been 
chosen as one of the units of the Army of Occu- 
pation: The news ran like wildfire through every 
company and there was a furbishing of arms and 
a rattle of harness and all the myriad sounds of a 
regiment on the move. 

‘T told you we'd be chosen,” chortled Tom. 
“When you're looking for a prophet don't pass 
me by.” 

“You hit the pail on the head all right,” ad- 
mitted Billy. 


THE MARCH OF TRIUMPH 


159 


*'Now well relieve the Heinies from their task 
of watching the Rhine/' laughed Frank. “From 
this time on it will be strictly an American river." 

By noon of that day all preparations were com- 
pleted. The old Thirty-seventh took its place in 
the line, the bands struck up, and with Old Glory 
floating proudly overhead the long column swung 
off toward the line of the German border. 


CHAPTER XVII 


FRIENDS OR FOES? 

The Army Boys marched on with light 
hearts and swinging steps in the front rank of 
their regiment. It was a perfect day, with just 
enough snap in the crisp air to bring the blood to 
their cheeks and make marching a delight. There 
was no more fighting to be done, no batteries to 
storm, no machine gun nests to be rooted out, no 
more danger of maiming and death. 

Despite this, however, there was no lack of 
military precautions on the part of their officers. 
Engineers went first to see that bridges were in 
shape for crossing and to detect and explode hid- 
den mines before the main body of the troops 
came along. There were also chemical experts 
to test the water of the wells and see that they 
were not defiled or poisoned. Such precautions 
would have been unnecessary for some foes, but 
the Americans knew with whom they had to deal. 

Above the marching columns swayed a number 
of observation balloons from which the observ- 
ers were able to see miles ahead of the troops 
• i6o 


FRIENDS OR FOES? 


i6i 


and note how fast the enemy withdrew. Later 
on, these were joined by a flock of airplanes. 

It had been arranged that the Germans should 
withdraw keeping a certain number of miles 
ahead of the advancing American troops. For 
the sake of avoiding any unfortunate clashes, 
this distance was enough as a rule to keep the op- 
posing forces out of sight of each other, but at 
times, when the American forces mounted a hill, 
they could see in the distance a long line of Ger- 
man soldiers wending their way in the direction 
of the Rhine. 

'‘Not the kind of home trip that they expected 
to make,” grinned Tom. “They thought that 
they’d strut into Germany with our scalps hang- 
ing to their belts.” 

“Don’t worry,” laughed Frank. “I’ll bet right 
now they’re telling each other that they really 
licked us. They’re the greatest self-kidders in 
existence. Their minds are cross-eyed. They 
never see anything straight. You see if when 
those fellows reach Germany the people don’t 
come out to meet them as conquering heroes. 
It’s a great system. You win when you lose.” 

“They remind me of the story of the fellow 
who boasted that he had kept the other fellow 
down by firmly inserting his nose between his ad- 
versary’s teeth,” chuckled Billy. “But look at 
these fellows coming along the road in rags. By 
Jove, they’re Americans too !” 


i 62 


FRIENDS OR FOES? 


'They’re prisoners, let loose by the Germans !” 
exclaimed Frank. "And look at their faces! 
They’re nothing but skin and bones! That’s 
what the Germans have done to them.” 

The poor fellows in question were gathered in 
at once and given food and medical attention. 
They had harrowing tales to tell of their expe- 
riences in German prison pens, of hunger and 
brutality and abuse that made the blood of their 
hearers boil. 

"And to think of the way we fattened up the 
prisoners that were in our hands!” exclaimed 
Tom bitterly. "When I look at these poor fel- 
lows it makes me sorry the war is over. I’d like 
to get just one more crack at the Huns.” 

The men had been turned out without food or 
sufficient clothing that morning or the day before 
to find their way back to their lines as best they 
might. They were met in increasing numbers as 
the lines advanced and it was lucky for the Ger- 
mans that the army that looked on these sights 
did not have the fixing of the terms of the peace 
treaty in their hands. 

They camped that night in a little village from 
which the Germans had withdrawn only a little 
while before. The inhabitants were all out in 
the streets to meet them with tears of joy run- 
ning down their faces as they welcomed their de- 
liverers. For four years they had been under 


FRIENDS OR FOESf 


163 


the harsh and pitiless rule of the invaders, and 
their joy now bordered on frenzy. They had 
drawn out from their hiding places the French 
flags that they had treasured through all that four 
years of slavery and now they waved from every 
window. 

The band struck up the Star Spangled Banner 
and every hat was lifted. Then suddenly, at a 
signal from the leader, the band swung into the 
Marseillaise. Then the scene beggared descrip- 
tion. How long it had been since these French 
people had heard those glorious strains! How 
often in those weary years they had despaired of 
ever hearing them again! From grown men to 
children, the whole population was sobbing. They 
grasped the hands of the soldiers and tried to kiss 
them. 

The emotion was contagious, and most of the 
husky doughboys felt a strange dampness about 
their eyes. 

‘Well,” said Frank, when he could trust him- 
self to speak, “just this one thing, if nothing else, 
would pay me for whatever Fve done or suffered 
since I came to France.” 

And this experience was paralleled in every 
French town through which they passed. Every- 
where it was the same story of oppress^ jf rob- 
bery, of slavery, of men deported agaii^L all the 
laws of war to toil in German fields or factories, 


164 


FRIENDS OR FOES? 


of girls torn from the arms of shrieking mothers 
and carried off, never to be seen or heard of 
again, of cruelty just for the sake of cruelty. 
And now that the Germans had been driven out 
in ignominy and defeat, these stalwart young 
Americans who had helped so largely to compass 
that defeat were looked upon almost in the light 
of demi-gods. Nothing was too good for them, 
although the scanty means of the people were 
pathetically small. Attentions were showered 
upon them. Little school children stood in rows 
and shyly held out bouquets of flowers. A hid- 
eous nightmare had been lifted from the land. 

The plan of the advance called for two days 
of marching and then two days of rest. Every- 
thing moved with military precision and the 
schedule was strictly maintained. Now and then 
they saw some Germans in uniform, but these 
were members of the medical corps who had been 
left behind, by agreement with the Allies, to take 
care of such German wounded as could not be 
moved. At other times, a car would drive up 
with some group of German officers who found 
it necessary to consult with the American officers 
about some matter connected with the fulfilment 
of the terms of armistice. But in general, that 
hated field gray uniform was conspicuous by its 
absence. 

Soon the Americans had crossed the French 


FRIENDS OR FOESf 


165 

border and reached the province of Luxemburg. 
Here there was a grand review of the troops. 
The Grand Duchess of Luxemburg stood on a 
balcony of the palace in company with General 
Pershing and received the salutes of the soldiers 
as they marched past. It was a beautiful city, 
and the Army Boys were not sorry when they 
learned that they were to stay there for two days 
before resuming their march. 

“It’ll seem good to get out from a tent and 
sleep under a roof again,” remarked Frank. 

“I’ve rather got fed up with tent life myself,” 
agreed Billy. “I wonder where they’re going to 
put us up ?” 

“I don’t care much,” observed Tom, “provided 
that the beds are clean and the grub is good.” 

On consulting their billet they found that they 
had been assigned to a house in the suburbs of 
the town. They had little difficulty in finding 
it, and were pleased to see that the house was a 
substantial one, where the food and beds on 
which Tom had laid stress were likely to be good. 

“I wonder if they talk English?” said Frank, 
as they rang the bell. 

“It doesn’t matter much whether they do or 
not,” replied Tom. “I’m pretty good at the sign 
language when it comes to getting something to 
eat. You’ll notice that I didn’t go hungry in 
Paris.” 


i66 


FRIENDS OR FOESf 


The door was opened by a maid, who ushered 
them into a pleasant and tastefully decorated liv- 
ing room, while she took the billet to her mis- 
tress. 

While they were waiting for the latter to ap- 
pear, two young girls passed the living room door. 
One was a brunette and the other of a blonde 
type, but both were undeniably pretty. They evi- 
dently had not been apprised of the presence of 
strangers in the house, for when they caught sight 
of the boys in uniform they seemed slightly start- 
led and hurried up the stairs. 

‘Teaches!” murmured Tom when they were 
out of earshot. 

“They’re not hard to look at,” agreed Frank 
carelessly. 

“And we’re only going to stay here two days,” 
mourned Billy. “Hardly time enough to get ac- 
quainted. I hope they’re able to talk English.” 

“Frank’s got a chance in two languages,” said 
Tom enviously. “He always was a lucky dog.” 

Their chaffing was interrupted by the entrance 
of their hostess. Frank acted as spokesman of 
the party and spoke in French, as he thought he 
would be more likely to be understood. But he 
was surprised and somewhat disconcerted when 
the lady told him in perfect English that she did 
not understand French, and looked appealingly 
to Tom and Billy. Frank changed at once into 


FRIENDS OR FOES? 


167 


his native tongue, with a laughing explanation, 
and the conversation soon grew easy and uncon- 
strained. Their new hostess stated that her name 
was Edsall and that she was a widow. Her fam- 
ily consisted of two daughters, Helen and Alice, 
and her father, who was infirm and advanced in 
years. The family was American but had been 
residing abroad for years. She would be glad to 
make their stay as comfortable as possible. 

She called the servant and had them shown to 
their rooms which they found pleasant and well 
furnished. They spent an unusual amount of 
time on brushing up, and it would not have re- 
quired a very shrewd guess to determine that this 
special care was not without reference to the two 
pretty girls whom they knew they were to meet 
at table. 

When they were summoned to supper, they 
found all the members of the family assembled 
in the dining room. They were introduced to 
the girls and to the old father. The latter had a 
worried look in his sunken eyes, and kept mutter- 
ing to himself at times in a way that made the 
boys feel that he was not altogether right in his 
mind, and this made them think of the missing 
Bart. 

The supper was good and well served, and they 
were soon chatting pleasantly together. Tom 
was especially attentive to Alice, the brunette, 


i68 


FRIENDS OR FOESf 


while Billy devoted himself to her blonde sister, 
Helen. Frank made himself generally agreeable, 
chatting with his hostess and occasionally ad- 
dressing himself to the old man. The latter 
would arouse himself and make some reply which 
showed that he had not fully grasped what Frank 
had been saying. Then he would relapse into his 
moody muttering, and Frank, for fear of em- 
barrassing him, finally left him to himself. 

Suddenly something that Helen was saying to 
Billy caught Frank's attention. 

*‘Yes,” she remarked, ‘Vhen we were living in 
Coblenz — ” 

'"Coblenz!" ejaculated Billy. "Why that’s in 
Germany !’’ 

"Certainly,” she replied in some wonderment. 
"Why, what of it?” 

Frank caught a warning look that her mother 
directed at Helen, 


CHAPTER XVIII 


A PERPLEXING QUESTION 

‘Why, nothing,’' stammered Billy, a trifle em- 
barrassed. “I didn’t know that you had ever 
been in Germany.” 

“Didn’t mother tell you?” asked Helen. “We 
lived in Coblenz for years.” 

Here Mrs. Edsall intervened. 

“I didn’t mention it,” she said quietly, “because 
it is a matter of no importance. Yes, we did live 
in Germany for some years before the war broke 
out. My father had come over from America 
to take charge of a branch importing house at 
Coblenz. My husband had died, and we came 
with my father. When the war started, or rather 
when we saw that it was about to begin, we left 
Germany and came here, where we have lived 
ever since.” 

She changed the subject then and the conversa- 
tion went on, but it was now constrained and for- 
mal. From time to time the boys shot a glance 
at each other that was full of interrogation. And 
as soon as the meal was finished, they excused 
169 


J 70 A PERPLEXING QUESTION 


themselves and went to Frank's room where they 
were soon in earnest conversation. 

‘‘What do you think of it?" asked Tom in 
much perplexity. 

“I don’t know what to think," confessed 
Frank. “It may be all right and it may be all 
wrong. But one thing’s certain, and that is that 
we’ve got to be on our guard. Those infernal 
Germans have spies everywhere and we may be in 
a nest of them. We want to keep as mum as oys- 
ters about all military affairs." 

“It doesn’t seem as though a nice girl like that 
Helen could be a spy," said Billy regretfully. 

“Nor Alice," put in Tom. 

“Maybe they’re not," admitted Frank. “In 
fact, I’m pretty sure they’re not, or Helen 
wouldn’t have made that break about living in 
Coblenz. It’s the last thing they’d have wanted 
us to know. But I’m not so sure of the mother. 
I caught her sending a warning to Helen with 
her eyes, but it was too late." 

“That may have been simply because she knew 
that it might make us supicious and she wanted 
to avoid that," defended Tom. “That would be 
natural enough for anyone to do. But it doesn’t 
say that there is any ground for the suspicion." 

“What do you think of the old man?” asked 
Frank thoughtfully. 

“Oh, he’s just crazy," said Tom carelessly . 
“He’s touched in the upper story." 


A PERPLEXING QUESTION 


171 


“That might be just camouflage though, to 
make us think that we could talk freely without 
paying any attention to him,” objected Frank. 
“He may be as crazy as a fox.” 

“I don’t think so,” said Billy. “He's pretty 
old and his mind is failing. I heard him half a 
dozen times muttering something about ‘the cellar, 
the cellar.' It got on my nerves after a while.” 

“Well, don't let's trouble trouble till trouble 
troubles us,” counseled Frank. “There may be 
nothing in it at all. I wouldn't hang a yellow 
dog on all the evidence we've got. In the mean- 
time, that bed looks inviting and I'm going to 
tumble in e'^.rly.” 

“I'm vyaui you there,” said Tom. “It's so long 
since I've slept between sheets that I'm anxious 
to see how it feels.” 

It was indeed a delightful contrast to their ex- 
periences for months past, and they slept soundly 
until they were called to breakfast the next morn- 
ing. 

“What are we going to do with our leave to- 
day?” asked Frank, as they were hurriedly dress- 
ing. 

“Just loaf and invite our souls,” replied Tom, 
as he put down his military brushes and took a 
last look in the glass, with the fair Alice in mind. 

“Luxemburg's a tidy little city,” put in Billy, 
“and there ought to be lots to see. Wouldn't do, 
I suppose, to take the girls along.” 


A PERPLEXING QUESTION 


‘"Not on your young life/' said Frank emphati- 
cally. ‘‘You'd get in the guardhouse so soon it 
would make your head swim. What's the matter 
with you fellows, anyway? You've both been 
primping up like a couple of dudes. Are you so 
badly smitten?" 

“Not at all," denied Tom stoutly, though a 
deeper flush on his bronzed face might have given 
rise to doubt. 

“They're certainly nice girls though," said 
Billy, feebly, “especially Helen." 

“She hasn't anything on Alice," remarked 
Tom. 

“Lucky you haven't picked out the same one,” 
laughed Frank, “or I'd have my hands full in 
keeping the peace. Come along now if you're 
ready." 

At the breakfast table they received the same 
pleasant greeting as on the night before, but there 
was a certain lack of freedom in the conversation 
that all felt. The little element of suspicion that 
had been aroused by Helen's remark still per- 
sisted. The boys kept a guard on their lips as 
regarded all military matters, and as just at that 
time there was little to talk about except the war, 
the remarks made were few and far between and 
they felt relieved when the meal was finished. 
Perhaps Billy and Tom were exceptions, for al- 
though they did not say much with their lips, their 


A Quiio 1 j • 


^73 


eyes were eloquent in the glances they stole at the 
girls. 

It was necessary for the Army Boys to report 
at the quarters of the regiment, but after that 
formality was through with they had no difficuty 
in getting leave and started off in high feather to 
enjoy their unaccustomed freedom. 

There was a host of places that well repaid 
their visit, museums, picture galleries, the quaint 
old world buildings, the great cathedral, and 
others equally noteworthy. It was such a relief 
to be among scenes of peace after the horrors 
and bloodshed of so many months that they en- 
joyed it doubly. They took their dinner at a 
hotel, where though the prices were high the food 
was surprisingly good, and toward evening re- 
turned to the home where they had been billeted. 

As they neared the house, they saw a man loit- 
ering near it who seemed to have no special busi- 
ness in the vicinity, but kept sauntering to and fro 
smoking a cigar. As he saw them coming, he 
hesitated a moment as though half inclined to 
turn and go in the other direction, but seemed to 
think better of it, giving them a quick, sharp look 
as he passed them. 

He was in civilian dress and at first they 
thought he was a native of the place, but his face 
showed that he was unmistakably an Englishman 
or an American, they were not sure which. 


A PERPLEXING QUESTION 


‘Wonder what that fellow is hanging around 
here for?*' Tom remarked, as they went up the 
steps of the house. 

“Oh the streets are free — ^that is to every one 
but a German, and that chap isn't that,” remarked 
Billy. 

“Perhaps it's some lovelorn suitor of one of the 
girls,'' suggested Frank mischievously. 

“I don't like his face,'' said Tom sourly. 

“He has a villainous look," added Billy. 

“Jealous already, eh?" laughed Frank. “I 
surely got your goat that time. He looks all 
right to me. I'd better get you fellows into the 
house before there's murder done." 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE LONE STRAGGLER 

The Army Boys were getting ready for sup- 
per, and Frank noted with some amusement that 
under one pretext or another Tom and Billy 
took occasion to go frequently to the window and 
look out. 

‘Ts he there yet?'’ he finally asked of Tom. 

“Who?" asked Tom innocently. 

“That deadly rival of yours," chaffed Frank. 

Tom flushed a little. 

“Quit your kidding," he replied. “Yes, he is 
there. I've half a mind to go out and ask him 
why's he hanging aroimd." 

“I guess that would be assuming a little too 
much," laughed Frank; and as the summons to 
supper came just then the matter was dropped. 

“I hope you enjoyed your holiday today," re- 
marked Mrs. Edsall, when they were seated at 
the table. 

‘Wery much," Frank answered. “Luxemburg 
is a charming city. We only wish we were going 
to be in it longer." 


175 


176 


THE LONE STRAGGLER 


is a nice place/' said Mrs. Edsall. ‘*But 
we shall be glad to leave it just the same." 

*'Are you going to leave it?” asked Billy in 
some surprise. 

‘‘Yes,” replied his hostess. ‘‘We are going 
back to Coblenz. My father's property was 
seized there by the Germans when we left, and we 
are anxious to go back to reclaim it, now that the 
city is going to be under American control.” 

Tom and Billy did not attempt to disguise their 
pleasure at the news, but Frank, although he po- 
litely expressed himself to the same effect, was 
not without a certain uneasiness. All his doubts 
of the night before came back to him. 

Was business the real reason why the family 
were returning? Or was it because their sym- 
pathies and affections called them back to German 
soil? It was certain that the old man, whatever 
he may have been when he left Coblenz four 
years before, was now in no shape to carry on 
business. Still, of course, the family would 
naturally want to get back their property, even if 
only to sell it and afterward go to America. 

He stole a glance at the old man. The latter 
had brightened visibly when Coblenz had been 
mentioned, but he soon relapsed into his usual 
silence broken only by muttered references to “the 
cellar.” 

Frank made up his mind that he would speak 


THE LONE STRAGGLER 


177 


to his chums again about the matter. But after 
supper, the party adjourned to the living room, 
where the girls played and sang to them, and 
Billy and Tom were in such high spirits when the 
boys finally went up to their rooms that Frank 
concluded not to dampen their pleasure by bring- 
ing the matter up. 

The next morning they took their leave, with 
many thanks for the hospitality that had been ex- 
tended to them and expressions of hope that they 
would see them again in Coblenz. Billy and Tom 
laid especial stress on this latter point and Helen 
and Alice did not seem at all averse to the pros- 
pect. 

The regiment started off again on its long 
^'hike,” refreshed and rested after its two days’ 
stay in Luxemburg. Their journey soon brought 
them to the Moselle river with its quaint villages 
and picturesque castles and they pursued their 
way along its banks for many miles. They were 
not yet on German soil, though they were rapidly 
approaching it 

In every place they entered, they were received 
as deliverers. The people turned out in force to 
greet them with acclamations. And they all had 
American flags ready to wave in honor of the 
Americans. Many were not just sure how the 
flags ought to be made, and there were often as 
many stripes as there were stars. In some places 


178 


THE LONE STRAGGLER 


the people had no doth, as almost every scrap of 
it had been carried away by the Germans, but 
they used paper instead, and although the results 
were not always artistic and in fact were some- 
times laughable, none of the boys laughed, for 
they knew how deep the emotion was that 
prompted the demonstrations. 

One day when they were taking their noonday 
rest of two hours, the boys saw Dick Lever com- 
ing toward them. They fell upon him with de- 
light. 

‘Well, Dick, old man, is it really you?” asked 
Frank, after they had pounded and mauled him 
to their hearts’ content. 

“Nobody else,” grinned Dick, as he released 
himself. “What kind of a rough house do you 
call this anyway?” 

“How does it feel not to bring down your daily 
German ?” laughed Billy. 

“It sure is monotonous for a fact,” said Dick, 
a little regretfully. “I find myself looking 
around every once in a while to see if one of them 
is bearing down on me. But there’s no such luck. 
I’ll get rusty after a while from lack of practice.” 

“You may have another hack at them, if they 
refuse to sign the peace treaty,” suggested Tom. 

“Swell chance,” returned Dick. “We’ve taken 
all the fight out of those fellows. They haven’t 
a bit left. Have you heard about the way they 


THE LONE STRAGGLER 


179 


surrendered their fleet? Some of the finest bat- 
tleships in the world, and they gave them up like 
so many lambs. Think of an American navy giv- 
ing up that way without one last desperate fight 
But Heinie isn’t built that way.” 

‘‘How does it seem up there in the air to watch 
the American army marching toward the Rhine?” 
asked Tom. 

“Bully,” replied Dick. “I always felt certain 
I’d see them going in that direction but I didn’t 
dare to hope it would be so soon. From up there 
I can see not only our boys but the Huns as well 
going back to explain how it happened that they 
were making tracks for Berlin instead of toward 
Paris, and I tell you the sight makes me feel 
mighty good. 

“One funny thing I noticed yesterday,” he went 
on. “Our whole army had passed on, or I 
thought they had, when I saw a man marching 
along about three miles behind them. He was 
all alone, but he was marching as stiff and 
straight as though his captain was looking at him. 
Then every once in a while he would stop and go 
through the whole manual of arms. Then up 
would go his gun again and he’d march on. 

“It struck me as strange and I watched him 
for a while. He went through that performance 
a half dozen times. I got out my glasses for a 
better look and saw that he was ragged and 


i8o THE LONE STRAGGLER 

looked down at the heel. I had half a mind to 
go down and see what it all meant, but just then 
I got a signal from the flight commander and had 
to go forward. But it sure struck me as queer.'* 

‘^Some straggler that had been left behind and 
was trying to catch up with his regiment, I sup- 
pose," suggested Billy. 

''But that doesn’t explain why he went through 
the drill movements," replied Dick. 

Frank had been listening, carelessly at first but 
with growing interest. Now he leaned forward 
and asked earnestly: 

"Did you see the man’s face, Dick?" 

"No, I was almost directly above him and he 
didn’t look up." 

"Dick," went on Frank with growing excite- 
ment, "do me a favor. Keep a sharp watch for 
that man and if you catch sight of him swoop 
right down and get in touch with him." 

"Sure," answered Dick curiously, "but why?" 

"Because," replied Frank, and his voice was 
tense, "it may be Bart I" 


CHAPTER XX 


ON GERMAN SOIL 

The boys sprang excitedly to their feet. 

*'Bart exclaimed Billy huskily. 

‘What makes you think that?” asked Tom. 

“Of course, it's just a guess,” explained 
Frank, “and I may be all wrong. But it seems to 
me it's a reasonable guess. From what Dick 
says, the man seems to be out of his head. No 
sane man would go through all those drill mo- 
tions all by himself. And you know that Bart 
was always a crank on the manual of arms. 
There wasn't a quicker or smarter man at drill in 
the whole Thirty-seventh. We know that poor 
Bart was out of his head when he escaped from 
the hospital. What more natural than that his 
twisted ideas should go back to the very thing 
that he used to be most interested in ?” 

“By Jove, I shouldn't wonder if you might be 
right !” cried Billy. 

“Then, too, what Dick said about his being 
ragged would chime in with that,” exclaimed 
Tom. “If he were just an ordinary straggler 

i8i 


ON GERMAN SOIL 


182 

trying to catch up with the regiment, he'd be 
dressed all right anyway. You know how strict 
the officers are that the men should look smart. 
But poor Bart only had on his night clothes when 
he got away from the hospital, and he's probably 
picked up pieces of clothing here and there as he 
had a chance. Say, fellows, can't we get the 
officers to let us go back and look into the mat- 
ter?" 

“We'll try," said Frank, “but I’m afraid they'd 
think it was a wild goose chase. But at any rate, 
Dick is freer than we are and I'm sure he'll do 
the best he can for us. Won't you, Dick?" 

“You bet I will," replied Dick warmly. “Poor 
Bart was a prince, and there isn't anything I 
wouldn't do for him or for you. The more I 
think of it, the more I'm inclined to think that 
Frank may be right. There isn't a free minute 
when I won't be looking for the poor fellow." 

“Even if it shouldn't be Bart, he ought to be 
taken care of," said Frank. “Just wait a min- 
ute, Dick, until I see the captain and try to get 
permission to go back with a squad and hunt him 
up.” 

He was off like a shot, but returned in a few 
minutes disappointed and chagrined. The cap- 
tain had listened with sympathy, but the chance 
seemed to him too remote to depart from the 
strict orders he had received to keep all the regi- 


ON GERMAN SOIL 


183 


ment together on this momentous march. He 
promised, however, to notify the rear guard to 
keep their eyes open, and if they caught sight of 
the straggler, if he were such, to gather him in. 
And with this promise Frank had to be content. 

Dick left them with a repeated promise to do 
all he could, and the march was resumed with the 
Army Boys in a high state of excitement. In their 
hearts they knew that it was only a chance and 
that they might be doomed to bitter disappoint- 
ment. But as Frank had said, it was at least a 
reasonable guess, and their hearts swelled with 
delight at the mere possibility of having dear old 
Bart back with them again. Even if his mind 
were wandering, they felt sure that with the care 
he would receive he would soon be himself again. 

The absence of their comrade had been the one 
bitter drop in their cup of happiness over the beat- 
ing of the Hun. Half the delight in the victory 
would be gone unless their loved comrade could 
share the triumph with them. 

They could talk of little else all the rest of 
that day, and many a glance was directed at the 
fleet of aeroplanes flying overhead. One of 
these, they knew, was Dick's, and they were sure 
^ithat that trusty friend was “on the job.” 
j All that day they kept passing huge piles of 
iwar material that had been left behind by the 
i Germans under the terms of armistice. There 


184 


ON GERMAN SOIL 


were guns by the hundred, heavy and light. Most 
of them were camouflaged with all the colors of 
the rainbow. This had been unnecessary while 
the Germans were fighting in entrenched posi- 
tions, but when the rapid advance of the Allies 
had forced the Germans to put up their guns 
hastily in the best positions they could find 
they had painted them in order to dazzle and be- 
wilder the eyes of their enemies. 

‘‘All that good paint wasted,” chuckled Billy, as 
he looked at the grim monsters, silent now, that a 
little while before had been belching out their 
messengers of death. 

There were airplanes too, scores of them, some 
of them the famous “flying tanks,” so called be- 
cause they had a metal armor about them to ward 
off enemy bullets. The Army Boys looked at 
them with great curiosity and would have liked to 
stop to examine them at leisure, but had to keep 
on in the steadily marching ranks. 

They could look across into Germany now, 
where on the other side of the river, the German 
forces were withdrawing. It was a strange sen- 
sation to see a German and not snatch up a gun to 
hurry his movements. 

While they were pitching camp that night, 
Billy suddenly nudged Frank, as a man passed 
them in earnest conversation with one of the 
officers. 


ON GERMAN SOIL 


185 


‘‘Look at that fellow/' he murmured. 

Fjrank looked at the man indicated. 

“Why it’s the man we saw hanging around 
Mrs. Edsall’s house !” he remarked with interest. 
“I wonder what he’s doing here ?” 

“Seems to have the run of the camp all right,” 
observed Tom with a scowl. 

“Well, I guess that shows he’s all right,” 
returned Frank. “You’ve got no cause to kick, 
Tom, nor Billy either. You know now that he 
isn’t hanging around the girls.” 

“No, but it looks as though he were going 
along with the army to Coblenz,” said Billy un- 
easily. 

“And the girls are going to be there soon, eh?” 
teased Frank. “Gee, but I’m glad that I’m not in 
love.” 

“Who said we were?” demanded Tom. 

“Oh, nobody,” laughed Frank. “I’ve got a 
pretty good pair of eyes in my head, though.” 

No news came from Dick that night, although 
the boys were looking for him to turn up at any 
moment. Either he had seen nothing of their 
missing comrade, or his duties had prevented him 
from joining them. 

“Never mind,” Frank consoled his comrades, 
when they were forced to turn in. “Tomorrow's 
a new day. My hunch is growing stronger that 
I was right about poor Bart.” 


ON GERMAN SOIL 


i86. 

The next day was the one fixed for the Army 
to enter Germany. At last they were reaching the 
goal that they had aimed at ever since they had 
come to France. The arrogant country that had 
sought to enslave Europe was to feel the foot of 
the victor on her own soil, that she had so 
haughtily declared to be “sacred.” 

They reached the bridge that had been desig- 
nated for the crossing. Then with bands crash- 
ing out their martial music and the Stars and 
Stripes floating proudly overhead, the American 
Army swung across the bridge and entered as 
conquerors on German soil. 


CHAPTER XXI 


AS FROM THE DEAD 

It was a good-sized city into which the army 
marched, and the streets were full of people. 
There were other thousands who peered from be- 
hind window curtains at the hated newcomers, 
these Americans, who, they had been told by their 
lying government, could never get to France, and 
who, if they did get there, would run at the sight 
of German uniforms. They had run, but they 
had run after the Germans instead of away from 
them, and that trifling fact had made all the dif- 
ference in the world. 

There was no demonstration of any kind. The 
people looked on in sullen silence. Only the chil- 
dren showed interest. They were too young to 
underhand what the coming of the Americans 
meant to their elders, and the flying flags and 
stirring music appealed to them as a spectacle and 
delighted them. 

The American authorities took charge of the 
town and issued proclamations telling the people 
just how they were to conduct themselves under 
187 


i88 


AS FROM THE DEAD 


the American occupation. The ordinary business 
of the town was to go on as usual, and the civil 
authorities would not be interfered with as long 
as good order was maintained. After a certain 
hour at night, no citizen was to be allowed on the 
streets. American officers were to be saluted 
when they passed. Hats were to be lifted when 
the American flag appeared and when the Ameri- 
can national air was played. The people were 
warned that the rules were to be strictly obeyed 
and that any disorder would be sharply and in- 
stantly repressed. 

‘'And they’re getting off mighty easy at that,” 
grumbled Tom. “What we ought to do is to 
give them a taste of their own medicine. We 
ought to post up the same regulations here that 
the Germans did in the towns of France and Bel- 
gium.” 

“We couldn’t do that,” objected Frank. “They 
were brutes and those things came natural to 
them. But we’re Americans.” 

“Of course, you’re right,” admitted Tom. 
“Just the same it makes my blood boil at the con- 
trast between what they deserve and what they’re 
getting. Look at these streets and houses, not 
showing a mark of war, and then picture the 
towns of France and Belgium, where only heaps 
of rubbish mark the passage of the Hun.” 

“Speaking of that,” broke in Billy, “here’s a 


AS FROM THE DEAD 


189 


picture post-card that I picked up in the street a 
little while ago. It shows a group of Germans 
destroying the machinery in a French mill, 
smashing delicate and costly machinery to bits. 
The Germans had stopped working for a few 
minutes, so that they could be photographed and 
the pictures could be published in Germany. 
That’s what it is that makes the case of the Huns 
so hopeless. If any other nation did such things, 
it wouldn’t at least brag of it. But the Huns are 
actually proud of it. The dirtier the deed the 
greater the pride.” 

*‘Yes,” replied Frank, '‘and I heard of a case 
where they sank lower still. After they had 
taken a picture of a mill they had broken up, very 
similar to this, they sent one of the pictures to the 
former French owner of the mill, and the picture 
had written on it: 'This is the way your miU 
looks now.’ ” 

"Oh, well, what’s the use,” growled Billy. 
"We’ve licked them and licked them good and 
proper. We’ll have to let it go at that, though I 
think as Tom does, that they ought to get a stiff er 
dose.” 

"One thing is certain,” grunted Tom, "and that 
is if I’m a member of the provost-marshal’s 
guard in this town, I’ll make these fellows walk 
Spanish if they look cross-eyed at me.” 

But Tom had no chance for this, for in an- 


190 


AS FROM THE DEAD 


other day or two the regiment went on, while 
other units of the division remained to garrison 
the town. 

In the meantime, the boys had seen Dick, but 
to their disappointment he had no definite news 
for them. Only once more had he caught sight 
of the lonely figure, but while he was manoeu- 
vring his machine to make a descent the man 
had disappeared. He landed and made a search, 
but without result. Since that time he had kept 
a sharp lookout, but had seen no further trace of 
him. 

‘‘But ril keep on looking,” promised Dick. 
“I’m getting just as much excited about this mys- 
tery as you fellows are yourselves.” 

“Here’s hoping,” replied Frank. “But it 
wrings my heart to think of poor Bart, if it is he, 
wandering around in that forlorn way. I only 
wish that we could get off to look for him.” 

They were passing through the country dis- 
tricts now and the villages at which they stopped 
at night could not accommodate the men in their 
houses. These were occupied by the officers, 
while the men stayed in their tents. 

The weather was getting colder, and the men 
had extra blankets served out to them. These 
were ample to keep them warm, but one morning 
Frank awoke shivering. Reveille had not yet 
sounded, and he turned over for another “forty 


AS FROM THE DEAD 


191 

winks’’ and drew his blankets closer. But he 
was still chilly, and on investigation he found 
that one of his blankets had disappeared. 

At first he thought that cither Tom or Billy 
must have played a joke on him. He went over 
to where they lay, but they only had their regu- 
lar quota, and they protested so vigorously 
against being disturbed that he let them alone. 
Later when he questioned them about the matter, 
they denied knowing anything about it. 

‘Tt must have been one of the fellows from 
another tent,” suggested Billy. ‘'He’s felt cold 
in the night and has come in and swiped yours. 
Pretty small potatoes, I call it.” 

“I’d like to catch him doing it,” growled Frank. 
*‘I’d make it so warm for him that he wouldn't 
feel any need of blankets.” 

“He’s got his nerve with him to swipe things 
from the best boxer in the regiment,” remarked 
Tom. 

“You’d better bone the quartermaster for an- 
other blanket,” counseled Billy. 

Frank got another blanket in the course of the 
day and that night he tucked it in around him 
with unusual care. It would take some tugging 
to get that away from him. 

It must have been considerably after midnight 
when he was conscious of something that dis- 
turbed him. But he was very tired, and after a 


192 


AS FROM THE DEAD 


moment he turned over to go to sleep again. 
Then came a distinct tug at the blanket that had 
him awake in an instant. 

It was very dark in the tent, but he could dis- 
cern dimly the figure of a man standing beside 
him. 

‘‘Now,*’ thought Frank grimly to himself, “my 
fine fellow, here’s where you get the shock of 
your young life.” 

He gathered himself for a spring, leaped to 
his feet and grappled with the intruder. The 
latter tried to escape, but Frank launched himself 
into him with such impetus that they both went 
down together. 

The head of the unknown struck the ground 
hard and he lay still. Frank was alarmed. 

“Quick!” he called, as Tom and Billy, afoused 
by the fracas, rushed toward him. “Strike a 
match, one of you.” 

Billy did so, and as the light flashed upon the 
face of the prostrate man they gave a shout. 
“Bart I” 


CHAPTER XXII 


A JOYOUS REUNION* 

*'Bart!” Frank repeated with a groan. ‘"And 
perhaps IVe killed him!'* 

Tom lighted a candle while Billy rushed for 
his canteen. They dashed some of its contents 
into Bart's pallid face and chafed his hands and 
wrists. 

In a few minutes their vigorous efforts had 
results. Bart moved uneasily, his eyes opened 
and rested vacantly at first and then intelligently 
upon the faces of his friends. 

“Hello, fellows!" he murmured weakly. 
“What's up.?" 

Their joy was beyond measure. Even while 
they were seeking to restore him to consciousness 
they had been tormented by the fear of seeing 
only an insane gleam in his eyes when he should 
open them. 

“Bart, old man !" cried Frank, in a voice that 
broke despite all efforts to control it. “You know 
us, then?" 

“Know you?" repeated Bart wonderingly and 


193 


194 


A JOYOUS REUNION 


trying to raise himself, a movement which they 
gently checked. ‘'Of course I know you. Are 
you kidding me T* 

"Listen, Bart,” replied Frank with a warning 
glance at his companions not to reveal prema- 
turely the whole story. "You got a knock on the 
head in the fighting that put you out of business 
for a while and weVe been a little scared. But 
you’re all right now.” 

"Sure, I’m all right,” answered Bart, "and I’ll 
be ready tomorrow to take another crack at the 
Huns. How is the battle going?” 

"All to the good,” answered Frank. "But 
you’d better lie still for a while. We’ll put you 
on my bed and you won’t have even a headache 
in the morning.” 

Bart protested, but they overruled him and 
tucked him in the blankets, where he promptly 
went to sleep. Then Frank went in search of one 
of the doctors who came promptly. He listened 
with the greatest interest while the three chums 
told their story. Then he made as careful an 
examination of Bart as he could without waking 
him. 

"He’ll be all right, I think,” was his verdict. 
"He’s fairly well nourished. I suppose he’s 
found plenty of food in the wake of the army. 
And the life in the open air has built him up after 
his hospital experience. The only trouble has 


A JOYOUS REUNION 


195 


been with his mind, and from what you tell me 
he’s come to himself again. Of course he’ll have 
to take things easy for the next few days and 
you mustn’t tell him now about his hospital esca- 
pade. Let him think the injury happened to 
him yesterday. We’ll take him along in one of 
the ambulances, and I venture to say that in a 
week he’ll be with you again as well as ever.” 

“I can’t forgive myself for knocking him 
down,” said Frank mournfully. 

The doctor laughed. 

‘‘Best thing you ever did in your life,” he said. 
“The blow he got on the head was just what he 
needed to shake him into sanity again. Medical 
history is full of just such cases. You’ve got the 
proof of it right here. He was undoubtedly in- 
sane when he came into the tent to take your 
blanket. He knew that he was cold and his only 
thought was to get something to keep him warm.” 

“But why should he happen to strike our tent 
instead of somebody else’s?” asked Billy. 

“Because he knew it was yours,” answered the 
doctor. “In his poor twisted brain he had recog- 
nized you and knew vaguely that you were his 
friends. Probably he has been dodging around 
somewhere and kept track of you.” 

The boys’ eyes grew moist as the pathos of it 
all came upon them. 

The doctor left them some stimulating medi- 


196 


A JOYOUS REUNION 


cine, promised to send the ambulance around in 
the morning and took his leave. 

There was no more sleep for the boys the rest 
of that night. They were strung to too high a 
pitch of excitement and delight. They felt as 
though they were treading on air. 

Bart was back with them again, dear old Bart, 
whose absence they had mourned as though he 
had been their brother, brave old Bart, with the 
the heart of a lion, who had stood at their side 
in a score of desperate fights. For hours they sat 
outside the tent so that they would not disturb 
the sleeper, and talked in low voices of the great 
thing that had happened. 

Bart woke in the morning refreshed and per- 
fectly himself again as far as his mind was con- 
cerned. They fed him well and when the ambu- 
lance came around they helped to put him in it, 
promising to drop round to see him whenever 
they could get leave. The ambulance went along 
with the army, so that the boys had the feeling 
that Bart was with them all the time, even though 
not stepping along in the ranks. 

Dick dropped in on them during the day, as 
did Will Stone, who was going along in one of 
the tank units of the army of occupation, and 
their delight was almost as great as that of the 
Army Boys themselves when they heard the news. 
Together they went to visit Bart at every oppor- 


A JOYOUS REUNION 197 

tunity they had, and rejoiced to find that he was 
getting stronger all the time. 

The nurse who had him in charge had been 
told his story, and, being a person of tact and 
discretion, she had gradually told him the truth 
bit by bit, "‘in homeopathic doses,’^ as Tom put it. 
The absence of the noise of the big guns was 
rather hard to explain, but she did it somehow, 
and finally Bart came to know the whole truth. 
It was something of a shock to him, but his de- 
light at the defeat and surrender of the Huns was 
so great that it more than counterbalanced his 
distress. 

In a few days, the doctor pronounced him 
strong enough to take his regular place in the 
ranks, and when he stepped out with them one 
morning in a brand new uniform and looking 
as stalwart and fit as ever he had, the Army 
Boys felt as though they had nothing on earth 
left to ask for. And their delight was shared by 
the rest of the regiment, with whom Bart was a 
general favorite, and who overwhelmed him with 
handshakes and congratulations. The boys 
marked that day as the best that had ever been 
on their calendar. 

All were in a jubilant mood as they strode along 
in the crisp, cool air. It was almost a trial to 
keep their measured step. They all felt more like 
dancing. 


198 


A JOYOUS REUNION 


“The only kick I have was that I wasn’t in at 
the finish,” said Bart. “I’d like to have heard 
the last shot fired. And I sure would have liked 
to have been with you fellows in the tunnel, and 
in the clearing of that Argonne Forest. You fel- 
lows were certainly going fast in those last days 
of the war.” 

“You needn’t kick,” grinned Billy. ^‘You’re 
some speed merchant yourself. You went to 
sleep in France and woke up in Germany.” 


CHAPTER X> 


CROSSING THE RHINE 

It was a memorable day when the Army Boys 
at last looked upon the Rhine. Again and again 
that word had been on their lips in the course of 
the war. A thousand times they had pledged 
themselves to reach the Rhine. The river was 
to them a symbol of Germany itself. 

Into the city of Coblenz poured the American 
army in columns that seemed endless. Over the 
Rhine they went on two bridges that spanned the 
great river that stretched out like a broad silver 
ribbon as far as their eyes could see. At last the 
Rhine was under American control, and a Ger- 
man could not even cross it without permission 
from an American sentry. 

On the other side of the river from Coblenz 
was the great fortress of Ehrenbreirstein, one of 
the strongest and most famous in Germany. It 
covered many acres and stood on a rocky prom- 
ontory, four hundred feet above the level of the 
river. It could hold a hundred thousand men if 
necessary. It had cisterns hewed out of the solid 


199 


200 


CROSSING THE RHINE 


rock that could hold water enough to supply a 
garrison of eight thousand men for ten years. 
There were mammoth underground passages and 
magazines for supplies and ammunition. From 
its rocky height it seemed to be able to defy the 
world. 

The German flag had floated over the fortress 
for a hundred years. Now Old Glory was hoisted 
in its place and the pulses of the boys thrilled as 
the Stars and Stripes spread out proudly in the 
breeze. 

Part of the army was stationed in Coblenz, but 
many thousands were placed in the fortress itself, 
which was henceforth to serve as American bar- 
racks. 

Then for the first time since they had landed in 
France the American army really rested. Their 
main work was done and well done. They had 
fought the good fight. They had kept the faith. 

Not that the army discipline grew lax. The 
men were kept in shape for any emergency. At 
a day’s notice if necessary they could resume 
fighting. But there were many hours every day 
that they had to themselves and they were as full 
of high spirits as so many colts turned out to 
pasture. 

On one such day after they had had some good 
wrestling and boxing matches Billy’s efferves- 
cence found vent in an offer to sing them a song 


CROSSING THE RHINE 


201 


'‘so pathetic that it will bring tears to your eyes.” 

"Oh, cut out that stuff,” chaffed Bart. "Isn’t 
there enough trouble in the world without your 
singing songs to make us weep?” 

"Aw, this isn’t going to be the kind of a song 
you think it is,” protested Billy. "This song 
isn’t aimed to make you shed tears of sadness, 
the one and only idea being to double you 
up with spontaneous and irresistible laughter. 
You’ve heard the old saying, haven’t you, 'to 
laugh till you cry’? Of course you have, and 
that’s what I have in mind.” 

"I never knew you had a gift for singing comic 
songs,” said Tom, suspiciously, "and what’s 
more, I don’t mind going a little further and say- 
ing I didn’t know you could sing any kind of a 
song at all.” 

"That just goes to show how ignorant you 
are,” retorted Billy, "you just wait till you hear 
me sing this song, and see if it isn’t every bit as 
good as I say it is.” 

"What’s the name of this wonderful composi- 
tion?” asked Tom. 

"The name?” said Billy. “Why, I don’t see 
any real reason why I shouldn’t tell you. The 
name of this song is: 'I Want a Good Egg, and I 
Want It Bad.’ The accompaniment will be ren- 
dered ” but this was as far as he got, as a 

shout of laughter went up, and he became the 


202 


CROSSING THE RHINE 


target for whatever miscellaneous objects hap- 
pened at that moment to be closest to hand. 

‘The title to that song is plenty/' observed 
Frank, when the disturbance had somewhat 
quieted down; “speaking for myself, I’m not 
curious to see if the music is as bad as the egg.” 

“That’s just it,” said Billy, aggrievedly, “it 
isn’t as bad, it’s worse. That’s what makes the 
song so funny.” 

“The trouble is,” said Tom, “that you’re about 
the only one in this man’s army who does like it, 
so I’d advise you to drop it while you’re still alive 
and healthy.” 

“Oh, all right, then,” said Billy, “if you fel- 
lows haven’t got sense enough to recognize a 
little musical gem when it is offered to you, you 
can go without. But please remember that you’re 
the losers, not me.” 

“It’s nice of you to feel sorry for us,” said 
Frank, “but just you save up that song to sing to 
a bunch of Boches. Of course it will be hard even 
on the Huns, but they’re used to atrocities by this 
time.” 

“That’s a good idea,” said Billy in an injured 
tone. “I know a German isn’t much good, but 
with all their faults they do appreciate good 
music.” 

“Yes, but we weren’t talking about good 
music,” remarked Bart pointedly. 


CROSSING THE RHINE 


203 


‘1 don’t seem to make a hit with this crowd/' 
said Billy plaintively. ‘^One of you fellows see 
if you can do better.” 

‘‘I heard a good joke the other day,” volun- 
teered Tom, ‘"and I wouldn’t mind telling it if 
somebody coaxed me a little bit.” 

“Consider yourself coaxed,” said Bart. “Go 
ahead and shoot the works.” 

“Well,” said Tom, “it seems that in one of the 
recruiting camps an officer was questioning some 
of the men with an idea of finding out what they 
would do in a certain emergency. As he went 
down the line, he came to a darky. 

“ ‘Now, ’Rastus,' the officer said, ‘suppose you 
were out in an open field on scouting duty, and 
suddenly you saw a whole regiment of Germans 
running toward you, bayonets fixed and ready 
for business. What would you do?’ 

“ ‘Whut would ah do ? Why, boss, ah wouldn’t 
do a thing. Ah’d just say tuh mah feet: “Feet, 
do yuh duty,” and, boss, ah’m mighty suah dey 
would.’ ” 


CHAPTER XXIV 


THE CELLAR 

A BURST of laughter greeted the climax of 
Tom’s story. 

‘‘And now/’ said Bart, “I propose that we 
wander over to the canteen and proceed to wrap 
ourselves around some apple pie and a few large 
and succulent doughnuts.” 

The proposition met with instant acclaim, and 
without further debate the boys streamed off to 
the canteen where were sold the delicacies that 
made a special appeal to the soldiers after the 
regulation “chow.” They found the place 
crowded, but there was always room for more, 
and they squeezed their way in and demanded that 
the man behind the counter “shake a mean foot” 
and place before them the required “eats.” This 
was done, and big chunks of pie disappeared in 
magical fashion. 

“Wow!” exclaimed Billy, with a deep sigh of 
satisfaction. “If I ever get back home again, 
I’m going to enter myself in a pie-eating contest. 
I’ll probably become champion of the world, but 


204 


THE CELLAR 


20 $ 


even if Fm not, it will be an awful lot of fun 
trying/’ 

‘"The rest of us would run you a pretty good 
race,” grinned Tom. 

“You think so, eh?” Billy came back at him. 
“All right, ril challenge you all as soon as we 
get back to the States and may the best man 
win.” 

“The loser of course to pay the bill,” laughed 
Bart. 

“Agreed,” replied Billy, “and now just to keep 
in training Fll take another piece of that pie. 
Shoot it over, waiter, and make it snappy.” 

At last even Billy’s voracious appetite was sat- 
isfied. 

“Come along now, you cormorant,” said Tom. 
“You know we’ve got that appointment in Cob- 
lenz this afternoon and we haven’t got any too 
much time.” 

“Are you fellows going across the river this 
afternoon?” asked Frank in some surprise. 

“Why, yes,” said Tom, with a slight tinge of 
embarrassment. “Don’t you want to come 
along ?” 

Frank looked from Tom to Billy and a light 
broke in upon him. 

“Not I,” he laughed. “Fm next to you fel- 
lows. Trot along and give my regards to Helen 
and Alice. I didn’t know the family had reached 


2o6 


THE CELLAR 


Coblenz yet. But trust you fellows to find that 
out” 

Billy and Tom smiled a little sheepishly. 

“They got there yesterday,” Billy explained. 

“Bless you, my children, bless you,” said Frank 
mockingly. “Run along now and don’t keep the 
girls waiting. But all the same, fellows,” he 
added more seriously, “don’t get in too deep until 
you know that they’re loyal to the old U. S. A.” 

“I’d stake my life on it,” replied Billy warmly. 

“No doubt,” laughed Frank, “but just now, old 
man, you may not be a very good judge. Only 
be careful, that’s all.” 

Two days later there was a grand review of 
the Army of Occupation. General Pershing 
himself had come to Coblenz for that purpose and 
the marching and countermarching of that great 
array of troops on a plain outside the city was a 
magnificent spectacle. 

But the great feature of the day to the Army 
Boys was when they and a number of others were 
called out in front of the entire division and deco- 
rated with the Distinguished Service Cross. 
Frank got his for “extraordinary heroism,” as 
the citation called it, in capturing the machine 
gun and its crew single handed. Tom and Billy 
were honored for their exploit in the tunnel affair 
while Bart was decorated for the occasion when 
in company with Frank he had rowed out into 


THE CELLAR 


207 


the river and blown up the bridge over which the 
Germans were charging. The General himself 
pinned on the medals, and it was a proud group 
of Army Boys who trudged back to their quar- 
ters with the honors on their breasts after the 
review was ended. 

They had done these things without the slight- 
est thought of reward and simply because they 
loved their country. But it was good all the same 
to feel that Uncle Sam was not ungrateful. 

Before they left the field, Frank had another 
pleasure. Colonel Pavet came over to him and 
congratulated him on his honors which, he de- 
clared, had never been better deserved. 

‘‘And at last I have the news that I have been 
hoping for for weeks,” he said. “I heard from 
Andre this morning that your mother’s property 
has at last been awarded to her. The last for- 
mality is settled, and if she were here she could 
take possession tomorrow.” 

Frank wrung the colonel’s hand and thanked 
him with all his heart. 

“I shall write my mother tonight,” he said. 
“I’ll do better than that ! I’ll cable. She will be 
relieved and delighted beyond measure.” 

“And tell her when you write,” smiled the 
colonel, “that when she is able to come over, I 
would be delighted to have both you and her 
spend as much time as possible on my estate.” 


2o8 


THE CELLAR 


Frank promised and they parted with warm 
expressions of mutual regard. And that same 
night a cable message sped across the Atlantic 
bearing the good news that Frank was too impa- 
tient to wait for a letter to tell her. 

A week or two later, the American authorities 
at Coblenz found it necessary to institute stricter 
measures. It was found that a large amount of 
material that should have been left to the Ameri- 
can army by the terms of the armistice had been 
sold to unscrupulous buyers who had purchased 
it for a song and stored it away to be sold at a 
large profit later on. 

A search was made throughout the city and 
many hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of 
the goods were recovered. In looking about for 
a temporary place to store it, the authorities had 
commandeered a warehouse which was partly 
empty. Here they placed the goods and put them 
under guard of American soldiers. 

One night the Army Boys were sent over to 
relieve the squad then on duty. As they reached 
the place, Tom and Billy gave an involuntary ex- 
clamation. 

'What’s the matter ?” asked Frank. 

'Why,” replied Billy, "this is the warehouse 
of Mrs. Edsall’s father. Their dwelling house is 
right next door and connects with this.” 

"You ought to know,” grinned Frank. 


THE CELLAR 


209 


"'YouVe been here often enough. But it’s rather 
a queer coincidence that we should be sent to 
guard it.” 

They entered the cellar where the bulk of the 
goods was stored. 

‘‘So this is the famous ‘cellar’ that the old man 
was always muttering about,” remarked Frank, 
as he looked curiously about him. 

“The identical place,” replied Tom. 

It was a long and wide cellar with many bales 
and barrels stored in it. The only light was from 
a lantern which had been lighted by the squad 
they had just relieved, and which hung from a 
beam at one end, leaving most of the place in 
darkness. 


CHAPTER XXV 


FOILING THE GERMAN PLOT 

•‘This cellar’s a nice place to tell ghost stories 
in,” remarked Bart. “It would make a fellow 
creepy to be in here all by his lonesome.” 

“I thought I heard a noise down in that end of 
the cellar,” said Tf 

^ “You’re dreaming,” said Billy. “Come out of 
your trance.” 

But just then there was another noise that all 
of them heard. It sounded like a scratching 
noise, or as though someone were inserting a key 
in a lock. 

“Quick !” whispered Frank. “Hold your guns 
ready and get down behind these bales.” 

Like a flash they obeyed and waited with bated 
breath for what should come next. 

The scratching continued. Then slowly a door 
swung open at the far end of the cellar and a 
figure advanced carrying a candle. He walked 
with faltering steps, and as he drew nearer they 
could see that it was Mrs. Edsall’s father. 

He paused at a part of the wall that was in 


210 


FOILING THE GERMAN PLOT 211 


shadow and seemed to be searching for some- 
thing. Then with a sigh of satisfaction he found 
it. He pressed a spring and a concealed door 
opened, revealing a small aperture. 

The old man reached in his hand and brought 
out a roll of papers. He glanced over them for 
a moment in the light of the candle. Then he 
swung the door shut and turned to go. 

But just then there was a startling interrup- 
tion. From behind a barrel in whose shadow he 
had been hiding, a man leaped out, and throwing 
himself on the old man grasped the papers and 
tore them from him. 

The attack was stxmning in its suddenness, but 
the man had scarcely straightened up before the 
Army Boys had swarmed out of their conceal- 
ment and seized the intruder. He put up a sharp 
fight, but in the grasp of those sinewy arms he 
was helpless. In a moment they had overpow- 
ered him. The old man stood by, shaking as 
though with a palsy. 

'‘Now,” said Frank sharply to the intruder, 
“what does this mean? Tom, bring that lantern 
here and let’s have a look at this man.” 

Tom did so, and as the light fell on the man’s 
face he uttered an exclamation of surprise that 
was echoed by Frank and Billy. 

“Why,” said Frank, “it’s the man we saw in 
Luxemburg I” 


212 FOILING THE GERMAN PLOT 


**1 don't know where you saw me and I don't 
care," answered the stranger angrily. “I only 
warn you that you’ll get in trouble if you inter- 
fere with me in the discharge of my duty. I'm 
a member of the United States Secret Service." 

‘'Show your authority," said Frank, taken a 
little aback. “Let go his arms, fellows." 

His arms released, the man threw back his coat 
and showed the badge of his service. 

“I've been trailing this man for some time," 
he said. “We had a. suspicion that he was in 
treasonable relations with the enemy. And I 
think now I’ve got the goods on him," he said, 
as he flourished the bundle of papers. 

Here the old man interposed. 

“It's false,” he cried wildly. “No one is more 
loyal than I am. Look at those papers. Look 
quick or it may be too late. The Germans plotted 
to blow up the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, if it 
were ever captured by the Americans. Those are 
the plans. By an oversight of theirs, the papers 
fell into my hands. I hid them here when I had 
to leave Coblenz. I did not dare to take them 
with me for fear I would be searched. That 
was why I wanted to get back to Coblenz, so that 
I could give the papers to the American com- 
mander. I have been sick, delirious since I re- 
turned, and this is the first time I have been able 
to leave my bed and get here. Look at the plans. 
And hurry, hurry!" 


FOILING THE GERMAN PLOT 213 


There was unmistakable sincerity in his tones 
that startled and impressed even the Secret Ser- 
vice agent. They hurriedly examined the plans. 
Two minutes sufficed. Ehrenbreitstein, where at 
that moment thousands of American soldiers 
were sleeping, might at any moment be blown 
into atoms! 

Two jumps carried Frank out of the cellar. A 
few more took him to a telephone. There was a 
quick exchange between him and the fortress. 
Then the whole party bundled themselves into a 
car which had been hastily commandeered and 
were whirled over the bridge and up the hill. A 
few minutes more, and squads of soldiers, armed 
to the teeth, had followed the indications of the 
plans and located enough explosives in a secret 
passage deep under the fortress to shatter it to 
fragments. The wires by which they could have 
been exploded from a distance were found and 
severed, and only then did the commander of the 
fortress, who had lived ten years in as many min- 
utes, venture to breathe freely. The bold plot of 
a desperate band of Germans had been foiled. 

But other plots were still to be exposed, and 
what some of those were v/ill be related in the 
next volume of this series, to be entitled: ‘‘Army 
Boys on German Soil ; Or, Our Doughboys Quell- 
ing the Mobs.'* In that book we shall meet all our 
friends again and see how bravely they acted 
under the most trying of circumstances. 


214 FOILING THE GERMAN PLOT 


‘‘It was a narrow squeak/' remarked Frank, a 
few days after the German plot had been ex- 
posed. 

“Just what I was saying to Helen this after- 
noon,” said Billy. 

“And what were you saying to Alice?” asked 
Bart, turning to Tom. 

“None of your business,” grinned Tom. 

“They're hopeless cases,” remarked Bart. 

“Cupid's got the best of them,” remarked 
Frank. 

“That's more than the Huns could do,” 
laughed Billy. 

“Yes,” agreed Frank. “That's more than the 
Huns could do. They tried their best, but they 
couldn't put it over on Uncle Sam's Army Boys.” 


THE END 


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their various stunts, how the “fishman” re- 
mains under water so long, how the mid-air 
performers loop the loop and how the slack- 
wire fellow keeps from tumbling. He has been 
through it all and he writes freely for the boys 
from his vast experience. They are real sto- 
ries bound to hold their audiences breathlessly. 

JOE STRONG, THE BOY WIZARD 

Or Mysteries of Magic Exposed 

JOE STRONG ON THE TRAPEZE 

Or The Daring Feats of a Yoimg Circus Per- 
former 

JOE STRONG, THE BOY FISH 

Or Marvellous Doings in a Big Tank 

JOE STRONG ON THE HIGH WIRE 

Or A Motorcycle of the Air 

JOE STRONG AND HiS WINGS OF 
STEEL 

Or A Young Acrobat in the Clouds 

JOE STRONG AND HIS BOX OF 
MYSTERY 

Or The Ten Thousand Dollar Prize Track 

JOE STRONG, THE BOY FIRE- 
EATER 

Or The Most Dangerous Performance on 
Record 

GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY 

Publishers New York 



Army Boys Series 

By HOMER RANDALL 

12mo, cloth, illustrated and with colored jacket 

Here Tve have true-to-life pictures of what our 
hrave soldier boys did, in the training^ camps, 
aboard the transport, and on the battlefields of 
Prance. How they went over the top and had 
thrilling hand-to-hand encounters with the Huns, is 
told in a manner to interest all. Many side lights 
are given of how the soldiers enjoyed themselves 
during the off hours. A series which ought to be 
on every bookshelf in the land. 


^ARMY BOYS IN FRANCE 

Or From Training Camp to Trenches 

ARMY BOYS IN THE FRENCH 
TRENCHES 

Or Hand to Hand Fights With the Enemy 

ARMY BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE 

Or Holding Back the German Drive 

) ARMY BOYS IN THE BIG DRIVE 

Or Smashing Forward to Victory 

ARMY BOYS MARCHING INTO 
GERMANY 

Or Over the Rhine with the Stars and Stripes 


GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY 


publishers 


New York 


Navy Boys Series 

By HALSEY DAVIDSON 

12mo, cloth, illustrated and with colored jacket 

The true story of the American Jackies of to- 
day — clean-cut, brave and always on the alert. The 
boys join the navy, do a lot of training, and are 
then assigned to regular service. They aid in 
sinking a number of submarines, help to capture 
a notorious German sea raider, and do their share 
during the taking over of the enemy ^s navy. A 
splendid picture of the American navy of to-day. 

NAVY BOYS AFTER A SUBMARINE 

Or Protecting the Giant Conroy 

NAVY BOYS CHASING A SEA 
RAIDER 

Or Landing a Million Dollar Prize 

NAVY BOYS BEHIND THE BIG 
GUNS 

Or Sinking the German U-Boats 

NAVY BOYS TO THE RESCUE 

Or Answering the Wireless Call for Help 

NAVY BOYS AT THE BIG SURREN- 
DER 

Or Roimding Up the German Fleet 

GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY 

New York 


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